Orion (NYSE:OEC) Lowered to “Sell” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Orion (NYSE:OEC) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Orion in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Orion from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Orion from $9.00 to $5.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 28th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Orion from $6.00 to $6.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Orion from $4.50 to $5.25 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Orion currently has an average rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus price target of $5.58.

Orion Price Performance

Shares of NYSE OEC opened at $5.68 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $6.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.72. Orion has a 1-year low of $4.34 and a 1-year high of $14.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $319.39 million, a P/E ratio of -4.50 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.34) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by ($0.26). Orion had a negative net margin of 3.88% and a positive return on equity of 6.52%. The firm had revenue of $411.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $365.79 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Orion will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Orion by 430.9% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,861 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 4,757 shares during the period. Performa Ltd US LLC grew its position in Orion by 690.0% during the fourth quarter. Performa Ltd US LLC now owns 7,900 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 6,900 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new position in Orion in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its stake in Orion by 277.5% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,147 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 8,194 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Orion by 16.4% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 12,340 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 1,742 shares in the last quarter. 94.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Orion Company Profile

Orion Engineered Carbons SA, operating as Orion (NYSE: OEC), is a global producer of carbon black, a critical performance additive used to enhance the strength, durability and conductivity of various materials. The company’s products chiefly serve the tire and rubber industry, where carbon black imparts wear resistance and longevity, as well as the plastics, coatings, inks and battery components markets, where specialty grades deliver tailored conductivity and color properties.

Orion’s product portfolio is organized into two core segments: Rubber and Specialty and Chemical Specialties.