ICL Group (NYSE:ICL) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

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

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ICL Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $6.10.

ICL Group Price Performance

ICL Group stock opened at $5.38 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.72. ICL Group has a 52-week low of $4.76 and a 52-week high of $7.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.33.

ICL Group (NYSE:ICL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.77 billion. ICL Group had a net margin of 3.16% and a return on equity of 7.44%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ICL Group will post 0.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in ICL Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $107,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of ICL Group by 120.2% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,153,799 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $23,635,000 after purchasing an additional 2,267,245 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association increased its stake in shares of ICL Group by 20.4% in the first quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 26,218 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 4,438 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of ICL Group by 19.4% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 32,793 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $187,000 after purchasing an additional 5,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of ICL Group by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,709,301 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $11,760,000 after purchasing an additional 82,436 shares during the period. 13.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ICL Group Company Profile

ICL Group is a global specialty minerals and chemicals company headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. Established in its current form through the consolidation of Israeli government–owned chemical operations, ICL has evolved into a publicly traded entity on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ICL). The company’s origins date back to state-driven mineral extraction in the Negev and the Dead Sea region, and over the decades it has grown through strategic acquisitions, technological innovation and a gradual privatization process completed in the early 2010s.

ICL’s core operations are organized into three principal business areas.