Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Shares Up 11.9% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) shares traded up 11.9% during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $10.92 and last traded at $11.21. 90,842 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 477,107 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.02.

The conglomerate reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $165.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $153.88 million. Lsb Industries had a positive return on equity of 2.70% and a negative net margin of 0.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LXU has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $9.75 price target (up from $9.50) on shares of Lsb Industries in a report 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 reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Lsb Industries in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $11.00 price target (up from $10.00) on shares of Lsb Industries in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Lsb Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.25.

Insider Transactions at Lsb Industries

In other news, SVP Kristy Carver sold 19,550 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.99, for a total value of $195,304.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 52,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $525,603.87. This represents a 27.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry H. Golsen sold 118,953 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.19, for a total value of $1,093,178.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 96,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $889,343.87. The trade was a 55.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 610,823 shares of company stock valued at $5,767,726. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LXU. Gendell Jeffrey L raised 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 worth $18,140,000 after purchasing an additional 75,323 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,990,812 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $15,688,000 after acquiring an additional 109,944 shares in the last quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP increased its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 1,817,498 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $14,176,000 after acquiring an additional 32,373 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Lsb Industries by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,280,864 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $10,890,000 after acquiring an additional 14,125 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Lsb Industries by 12.8% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 965,757 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $8,209,000 after acquiring an additional 109,603 shares in the last quarter. 73.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lsb Industries Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $805.01 million, a P/E ratio of -1,115.70 and a beta of 0.74. 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 firm’s 50 day moving average is $9.37 and its 200 day moving average is $8.84.

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.