Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Hits New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as high as $10.44 and last traded at $10.0630, with a volume of 379098 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.99.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $9.75 price target (up from $9.50) on shares of Lsb Industries in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Lsb Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $11.00 price target (up from $10.00) on shares of Lsb Industries in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lsb Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Lsb Industries in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $10.25.

Lsb Industries Trading Up 0.7%

The company has a market cap of $723.93 million, a P/E ratio of -1,006.30 and a beta of 0.74. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $9.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.79. The company has a quick ratio of 2.63, a current ratio of 2.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry H. Golsen sold 118,953 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.19, for a total value of $1,093,178.07. Following the sale, the director directly owned 96,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $889,343.87. This represents a 55.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kristy Carver sold 19,550 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.99, for a total transaction of $195,304.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 52,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $525,603.87. This trade represents a 27.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 610,823 shares of company stock worth $5,767,726. 4.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lsb Industries

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Lsb Industries by 5.9% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,880,868 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $14,671,000 after acquiring an additional 104,355 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lsb Industries in the 2nd quarter worth $2,412,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in Lsb Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at $650,000. JB Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at $529,000. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC acquired a new position in Lsb Industries during the third quarter worth $366,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.