Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 106,650 Shares of Century Aluminum Company $CENX

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX) by 50.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 106,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 106,650 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of Century Aluminum worth $4,181,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Century Aluminum by 253.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,822 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Institutional investors own 61.59% of the company’s stock.

Century Aluminum Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENX opened at $65.05 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.30. The firm has a market cap of $6.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.42 and a beta of 1.91. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $59.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.87. Century Aluminum Company has a 52 week low of $15.13 and a 52 week high of $68.69.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Zacks Research raised Century Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Century Aluminum from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. BMO Capital Markets set a $75.00 price target on Century Aluminum and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. B. Riley Financial increased their price objective on Century Aluminum from $68.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Century Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $80.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Jesse E. Gary sold 150,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.47, for a total value of $8,320,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 142,580 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,908,912.60. This trade represents a 51.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Matt Aboud sold 2,971 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.67, for a total value of $156,482.57. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 64,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,415,280.81. This represents a 4.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 185,626 shares of company stock valued at $10,271,891. 0.84% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a primary aluminum producer that develops and operates smelters designed to supply low-carbon, high-purity aluminum products to a range of industrial and commercial markets. Established in 1995, the company has grown to become a significant North American aluminum producer with an expanding international footprint. Century Aluminum is headquartered in the United States and is focused on energy-efficient operations and cost management.

The company’s core operations include three primary aluminum smelting facilities located in Hawesville, Kentucky; Mount Holly, South Carolina; and Grundartangi, Iceland.