Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as high as $10.44 and last traded at $10.0630, with a volume of 379098 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.99.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Lsb Industries Trading Up 0.7%

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $9.30 and its 200 day moving average is $8.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 2.84 and a quick ratio of 2.63. The company has a market capitalization of $723.93 million, a PE ratio of -1,006.30 and a beta of 0.74.

Insider Transactions at Lsb Industries

In related news, CFO Cheryl Maguire sold 7,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total transaction of $75,510.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 200,719 shares in the company, valued at $2,007,190. The trade was a 3.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Kristy Carver sold 19,550 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.99, for a total value of $195,304.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 52,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $525,603.87. The trade was a 27.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 610,823 shares of company stock worth $5,767,726. Company insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lsb Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gendell Jeffrey L boosted its holdings in Lsb Industries by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Gendell Jeffrey L now owns 2,134,130 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $18,140,000 after acquiring an additional 75,323 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,990,812 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $15,688,000 after purchasing an additional 109,944 shares in the last quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP increased its position in shares of Lsb Industries by 1.8% during the second quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 1,817,498 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $14,176,000 after buying an additional 32,373 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Lsb Industries by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,280,864 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $10,890,000 after buying an additional 14,125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Lsb Industries by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 965,757 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $8,209,000 after buying an additional 109,603 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.67% of the company’s stock.

About Lsb Industries

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.