Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Huntsman Co. (NYSE:HUN) hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $18.65 and last traded at $18.67, with a volume of 52570 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $19.07.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on HUN shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Huntsman from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Huntsman from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Huntsman from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Huntsman presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $25.43.

Huntsman Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.55 billion. Huntsman had a negative net margin of 1.99% and a negative return on equity of 0.03%. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Huntsman Co. will post 0.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Huntsman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.29%. Huntsman’s dividend payout ratio is currently -144.93%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction of $432,705.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Huntsman

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Huntsman by 1,273.8% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,015 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 9,286 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Huntsman during the second quarter valued at $238,000. Shayne & Jacobs LLC raised its stake in shares of Huntsman by 4.1% in the second quarter. Shayne & Jacobs LLC now owns 93,176 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,122,000 after acquiring an additional 3,690 shares during the period. Washington Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Huntsman by 25.6% during the 2nd quarter. Washington Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,600 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Huntsman by 42.2% during the 2nd quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 31,833 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $747,000 after purchasing an additional 9,452 shares during the last quarter. 84.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Huntsman Company Profile

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.