Analysts Set Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) Price Target at $5.58

Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) has earned a consensus rating of “Strong Sell” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and one has issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $5.5833.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on OEC shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on Orion from $6.00 to $6.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Orion from $4.50 to $5.25 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Orion from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Orion in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Orion from $9.00 to $5.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 28th.

Orion Stock Performance

NYSE OEC opened at $5.39 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $303.35 million, a P/E ratio of -4.28 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The company’s 50 day moving average is $6.10 and its 200-day moving average is $6.63. Orion has a 12-month low of $4.34 and a 12-month high of $14.19.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.34) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by ($0.26). Orion had a negative net margin of 3.88% and a positive return on equity of 6.52%. The business had revenue of $411.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $365.79 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Orion will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Orion Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a $0.0207 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Orion’s dividend payout ratio is presently -6.35%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Orion

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Alpine Global Management LLC bought a new position in Orion in the 4th quarter worth about $91,000. Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Orion during the fourth quarter worth about $202,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Orion by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,807,965 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $9,546,000 after purchasing an additional 7,898 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its stake in Orion by 31.0% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 72,571 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $383,000 after purchasing an additional 17,166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Orion by 68.7% during the fourth quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 797,905 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $4,213,000 after purchasing an additional 324,921 shares during the last quarter. 94.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Orion Company Profile

Orion Engineered Carbons SA, operating as Orion (NYSE: OEC), is a global producer of carbon black, a critical performance additive used to enhance the strength, durability and conductivity of various materials. The company’s products chiefly serve the tire and rubber industry, where carbon black imparts wear resistance and longevity, as well as the plastics, coatings, inks and battery components markets, where specialty grades deliver tailored conductivity and color properties.

Orion’s product portfolio is organized into two core segments: Rubber and Specialty and Chemical Specialties.