Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) Downgraded to Neutral Rating by Alembic Global Advisors

Alembic Global Advisors downgraded shares of Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on HUN. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Huntsman from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Huntsman from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Huntsman from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Huntsman from $23.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Huntsman from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.33.

Huntsman Price Performance

NYSE:HUN opened at $17.35 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.73 and a 200-day moving average of $21.13. Huntsman has a one year low of $15.95 and a one year high of $27.01.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.10. Huntsman had a negative net margin of 1.99% and a negative return on equity of 0.03%. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Huntsman will post 0.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Huntsman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.76%. Huntsman’s payout ratio is currently -144.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Huntsman

In other news, Director Mary C. Beckerle sold 20,201 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.42, for a total value of $432,705.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntsman

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 38,070 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $686,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. Seven Eight Capital LP lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP now owns 24,568 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $559,000 after purchasing an additional 795 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 41,771 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 863 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Huntsman in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Shayne & Jacobs LLC lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Shayne & Jacobs LLC now owns 94,316 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,282,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140 shares during the period. 84.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Huntsman

Huntsman Corporation manufactures and sells diversified organic chemical products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Polyurethanes, Performance Products, and Advanced Materials. The Polyurethanes segment offers polyurethane chemicals, including methyl diphenyl diisocyanate, polyether and polyester polyols, and thermoplastic polyurethane; and aniline, benzene, nitrobenzene and other co-products.