Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) Raised to “Sell” at StockNews.com

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $47.00 to $38.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $62.80 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Berenberg Bank started coverage on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $35.00 to $31.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.06.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Trading Down 3.5 %

NYSE:SQM opened at $38.25 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.76. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile has a fifty-two week low of $32.24 and a fifty-two week high of $64.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.92 billion, a PE ratio of 347.82 and a beta of 1.03.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The basic materials company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.24). Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 0.48% and a return on equity of 23.15%. The company had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.03 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile will post -0.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SQM. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 43.3% in the first quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 5,024 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 1,517 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,144,179 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $105,407,000 after purchasing an additional 165,370 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 9.3% in the first quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,019,368 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $50,112,000 after purchasing an additional 86,811 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 108.1% in the first quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 8,909 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $438,000 after purchasing an additional 4,627 shares during the period. Finally, Bluefin Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile during the 1st quarter worth about $251,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 12.41% of the company’s stock.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Company Profile

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.