Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) Shares Sold by Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. decreased its holdings in shares of Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) by 55.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 94,303 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 116,045 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. owned approximately 0.16% of Orion worth $1,489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Orion by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,637 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $243,000 after buying an additional 1,396 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Orion during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Orion by 3.2% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 57,672 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $984,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its position in Orion by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 25,351 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 2,138 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in Orion by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 79,177 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 2,245 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.33% of the company’s stock.

Orion Price Performance

OEC stock opened at $13.89 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $14.18 and a 200-day moving average of $15.89. The company has a market cap of $786.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.51 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Orion S.A. has a 12-month low of $12.51 and a 12-month high of $26.05.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $434.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $437.03 million. Orion had a return on equity of 20.94% and a net margin of 2.35%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Orion S.A. will post 1.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Orion Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.0207 per share. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. Orion’s payout ratio is currently 10.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on OEC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Orion from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group reduced their target price on Orion from $23.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Orion

In related news, VP Carlos Quinones purchased 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $13.07 per share, with a total value of $43,131.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 79,702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,041,705.14. This represents a 4.32 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Orion Profile

Orion SA, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of carbon black products. It operates in two segments, Specialty Carbon Black and Rubber Carbon Black. The company offers post-treated specialty carbon black grades for coatings and printing applications; high purity carbon black grades for the fiber industry; and conductive carbon black grades for batteries, polymers, and coatings.