Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) shares hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $10.30 and last traded at $10.2910, with a volume of 218327 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.97.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Lsb Industries Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company’s 50 day moving average is $9.14 and its 200-day moving average is $8.68. The stock has a market cap of $741.99 million, a PE ratio of -1,031.40 and a beta of 0.74.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry H. Golsen sold 15,926 shares of Lsb Industries stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.03, for a total value of $159,737.78. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 35,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $351,481.29. The trade was a 31.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Cheryl Maguire sold 7,551 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total transaction of $75,510.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 200,719 shares in the company, valued at $2,007,190. This represents a 3.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 564,188 shares of company stock worth $5,299,643 in the last three months. 4.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LXU. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Lsb Industries by 1.8% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 89,804 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $700,000 after buying an additional 1,616 shares during the last quarter. First Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Lsb Industries by 13.4% in the third quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 16,239 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 1,922 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 21.0% during the third quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 12,354 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 2,148 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 7.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 38,916 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 2,692 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Lsb Industries by 90.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,019 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 2,856 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.67% of the company’s stock.

Lsb Industries Company Profile

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.