Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (NYSE:SQM) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (NYSE:SQM) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.50.

SQM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $55.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their price target on Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 30th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sociedad Quimica y Minera

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Soros Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera during the fourth quarter valued at $5,619,000. Earnest Partners LLC raised its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,071,339 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,954,000 after purchasing an additional 18,748 shares during the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC acquired a new position in Sociedad Quimica y Minera during the 4th quarter valued at about $642,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its position in Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 121.9% during the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 61,519 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,236,000 after purchasing an additional 33,797 shares during the period. Finally, White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 86.5% in the 4th quarter. White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 34,244 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,245,000 after purchasing an additional 15,879 shares during the last quarter. 12.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SQM opened at $45.90 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.88 and a quick ratio of 1.96. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $36.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.06. Sociedad Quimica y Minera has a fifty-two week low of $29.36 and a fifty-two week high of $47.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.75 and a beta of 1.03.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.05 billion. Sociedad Quimica y Minera had a net margin of 13.45% and a return on equity of 11.71%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($3.04) EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Sociedad Quimica y Minera will post -1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera Company Profile

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.