Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on CENX. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Century Aluminum from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Century Aluminum in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on Century Aluminum from $37.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Century Aluminum from $46.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $53.00.

Century Aluminum Price Performance

CENX stock opened at $50.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.08 and a beta of 2.24. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $44.00 and its 200 day moving average is $33.05. Century Aluminum has a 52 week low of $13.05 and a 52 week high of $55.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.71.

Insider Buying and Selling at Century Aluminum

In related news, CEO Jesse E. Gary sold 150,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.19, for a total transaction of $7,228,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 292,580 shares in the company, valued at $14,099,430.20. This represents a 33.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Century Aluminum in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Century Aluminum during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Century Aluminum by 48.3% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,185 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 68.9% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. 61.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a primary aluminum producer that develops and operates smelters designed to supply low-carbon, high-purity aluminum products to a range of industrial and commercial markets. Established in 1995, the company has grown to become a significant North American aluminum producer with an expanding international footprint. Century Aluminum is headquartered in the United States and is focused on energy-efficient operations and cost management.

The company’s core operations include three primary aluminum smelting facilities located in Hawesville, Kentucky; Mount Holly, South Carolina; and Grundartangi, Iceland.