Natixis Advisors L.P. Boosts Holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM)

Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its position in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) by 7.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 71,107 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,999 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P.’s holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile were worth $5,764,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Accel Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC purchased a new stake in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Boston Partners bought a new position in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the 1st quarter worth $34,000. 14.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE SQM opened at $62.38 on Thursday. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. has a 1 year low of $60.21 and a 1 year high of $115.72. The stock has a market cap of $17.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $71.50 and a 200 day moving average of $74.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 1.67.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 16th. The basic materials company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by ($0.59). Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 34.41% and a return on equity of 71.64%. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.01 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. will post 11.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 1st were issued a $0.5119 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $2.05 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SQM shares. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $97.00 to $93.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a report on Friday, May 19th. They set a “sell” rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, HSBC reduced their target price on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $134.00 to $90.50 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $83.39.

About Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers.