Optimum Investment Advisors Trims Holdings in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB)

Optimum Investment Advisors lowered its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) by 28.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,500 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 1,000 shares during the quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors’ holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $186,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LYB. Amundi lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 48.6% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 3,858,033 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $283,452,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,913 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter worth $69,115,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 211.9% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,283,163 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $123,055,000 after purchasing an additional 871,708 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,582,119 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $637,394,000 after purchasing an additional 558,137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 11.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,875,267 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $268,664,000 after buying an additional 293,622 shares during the period. 71.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock opened at $71.57 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $82.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.15 billion, a PE ratio of 17.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.06. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52-week low of $70.75 and a 52-week high of $107.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.83.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.53). LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 3.39%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. LyondellBasell Industries’s payout ratio is currently 129.47%.

Insider Activity at LyondellBasell Industries

In related news, Director Michael Sean Hanley acquired 3,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $72.05 per share, with a total value of $270,187.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 16,028 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,154,817.40. This trade represents a 30.54 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LYB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $96.00 to $86.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $95.00 to $84.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $88.25.

About LyondellBasell Industries

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology.