Orion (NYSE:OEC) Shares Down 3.2% – Should You Sell?

Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC)’s share price was down 3.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $12.24 and last traded at $12.24. Approximately 27,676 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 94% from the average daily volume of 489,175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.65.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on OEC. UBS Group lowered their price target on Orion from $23.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Orion from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st.

Orion Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $13.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $698.03 million, a P/E ratio of 16.51 and a beta of 1.52.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $434.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $437.03 million. Orion had a net margin of 2.35% and a return on equity of 20.94%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Orion S.A. will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Orion Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a $0.0207 dividend. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. Orion’s payout ratio is presently 10.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Orion

In other news, VP Carlos Quinones purchased 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost 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 $1,041,705.14. The trade was a 4.32 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Orion

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Orion in the 4th quarter valued at $159,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Orion by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 118,937 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,878,000 after acquiring an additional 27,804 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP bought a new position in Orion during the fourth quarter worth about $382,000. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in Orion by 49.0% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 16,214 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 5,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Orion by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 694,579 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $10,967,000 after purchasing an additional 117,022 shares during the period. 94.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Orion Company 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.