Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Decreases Holdings in Albemarle Co. (NYSE:ALB)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. trimmed its holdings in Albemarle Co. (NYSE:ALB) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,893 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 127 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Albemarle were worth $335,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ALB. Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 1,400.0% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 270 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont grew its position in Albemarle by 606.5% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 325 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in Albemarle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. First Community Trust NA lifted its position in Albemarle by 55.0% in the fourth quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 400 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in shares of Albemarle by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 414 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock.

Albemarle Stock Performance

Shares of ALB opened at $88.71 on Monday. Albemarle Co. has a 1 year low of $71.97 and a 1 year high of $143.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.43 billion, a PE ratio of -5.30, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 2.44. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $96.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $93.64.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on ALB shares. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Albemarle from $171.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Albemarle from $79.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Clarkson Capital began coverage on Albemarle in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $112.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp reduced their target price on Albemarle from $132.00 to $127.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Albemarle from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $115.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albemarle

In other news, CEO J Kent Masters sold 2,525 shares of Albemarle stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.12, for a total value of $255,328.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 73,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,457,296.64. The trade was a 3.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Albemarle Profile

Albemarle Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals worldwide. It operates through three segments: Energy Storage, Specialties and Ketjen. The Energy Storage segment offers lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and lithium chloride; technical services for the handling and use of reactive lithium products; and lithium-containing by-products recycling services.