Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $15.73 and last traded at $15.4050, with a volume of 2403255 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.43.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LXU has been the subject of a number of research reports. Zacks Research downgraded Lsb Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lsb Industries from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Lsb Industries from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Lsb Industries from $9.75 to $16.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Lsb Industries from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lsb Industries presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.83.

Lsb Industries Stock Up 6.7%

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.69. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 49.60 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 2.78 and a quick ratio of 2.61.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.04. Lsb Industries had a return on equity of 4.90% and a net margin of 4.00%.The business had revenue of $165.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $153.88 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Lsb Industries Inc. will post -0.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lsb Industries

In other Lsb Industries news, SVP Kristy Carver sold 19,550 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.99, for a total transaction of $195,304.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 52,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $525,603.87. This trade represents a 27.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Cheryl Maguire sold 7,551 shares of Lsb Industries stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total transaction of $75,510.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 200,719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,007,190. This trade represents a 3.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 387,113 shares of company stock valued at $3,731,647 in the last quarter. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Lsb Industries by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,880,868 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $14,671,000 after acquiring an additional 104,355 shares during the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at $650,000. JB Capital Partners LP purchased a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at $529,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 104.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 365,601 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $2,881,000 after purchasing an additional 187,108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 136,834 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $1,163,000 after purchasing an additional 7,794 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.67% of the company’s stock.

About Lsb Industries

LSB Industries, Inc (NYSE: LXU) is an Oklahoma City–based manufacturer of chemical products serving the agricultural, industrial and defense markets. The company operates primarily through two segments: Fertilizer Solutions and Commodities Solutions. Through its Fertilizer Solutions segment, LSB produces primary nitrogen products—including anhydrous ammonia and technical-grade ammonium nitrate—that are sold to fertilizer distributors and agricultural retailers across North America. Its Commodities Solutions segment manufactures and sells nitric acid, sodium nitrate and other nitrate-based compounds for industrial applications such as mining, water treatment and specialty chemical production, as well as defense-related formulations used in munitions and pyrotechnics.

Incorporated in 1969, LSB Industries has grown from a single production site to multiple manufacturing facilities strategically located in the central United States.