Albemarle Corp. (NYSE: ALB)’s stock price has dropped by -4.01 in relation to previous closing price of 127.72. Nevertheless, the company has seen a gain of 6.98% in its stock price over the last five trading days. InvestorPlace reported 2023-11-16 that The EV sector is a beacon of modern transportation, encompassing not just vehicles but also critical components. Against this backdrop, undervalued battery stocks present a fascinating opportunity for forward-looking investors.

Is It Worth Investing in Albemarle Corp. (NYSE: ALB) Right Now?

Albemarle Corp. (NYSE: ALB) has a higher price-to-earnings ratio of 4.35x compared to its average ratio,, and the 36-month beta value for ALB is at 1.63. Analysts have varying views on the stock, with 20 analysts rating it as a “buy,” 1 rating it as “overweight,” 5 as “hold,” and 1 as “sell.”

The average price suggested by analysts for ALB is $199.59, which is $76.99 above the current market price. The public float for ALB is 117.01M, and currently, shorts hold a 7.73% of that float. The average trading volume for ALB on November 17, 2023 was 2.46M shares.

ALB’s Market Performance

ALB stock saw a decrease of 6.98% in the past week, with a monthly decline of -19.81% and a quarterly a decrease of -33.15%. The volatility ratio for the week is 5.19%, and the volatility levels for the last 30 days are 5.09% for Albemarle Corp. (ALB). The simple moving average for the last 20 days is -3.95% for ALB’s stock, with a simple moving average of -39.04% for the last 200 days.

Analysts’ Opinion of ALB

Many brokerage firms have already submitted their reports for ALB stocks, with UBS repeating the rating for ALB by listing it as a “Neutral.” The predicted price for ALB in the upcoming period, according to UBS is $140 based on the research report published on November 06, 2023 of the current year 2023.

ALB Trading at -19.94% from the 50-Day Moving Average

After a stumble in the market that brought ALB to its low price for the period of the last 52 weeks, the company was unable to rebound, for now settling with -58.68% of loss for the given period.

Volatility was left at 5.09%, however, over the last 30 days, the volatility rate increased by 5.19%, as shares sank -15.19% for the moving average over the last 20 days. Over the last 50 days, in opposition, the stock is trading -34.64% lower at present.

During the last 5 trading sessions, ALB rose by +6.98%, which changed the moving average for the period of 200-days by -57.12% in comparison to the 20-day moving average, which settled at $126.55. In addition, Albemarle Corp. saw -43.47% in overturn over a single year, with a tendency to cut further losses.

Insider Trading

Reports are indicating that there were more than several insider trading activities at ALB starting from Coleman Kristin M., who purchase 1,373 shares at the price of $121.86 back on Nov 07. After this action, Coleman Kristin M. now owns 2,746 shares of Albemarle Corp., valued at $167,314 using the latest closing price.

Norris Eric, the President, Energy Storage of Albemarle Corp., purchase 1,260 shares at $195.49 during a trade that took place back on May 10, which means that Norris Eric is holding 26,596 shares at $246,317 based on the most recent closing price.

Stock Fundamentals for ALB

Current profitability levels for the company are sitting at:

• +34.17 for the present operating margin
• +42.15 for the gross margin

The net margin for Albemarle Corp. stands at +36.75. The total capital return value is set at 25.14, while invested capital returns managed to touch 28.23. Equity return is now at value 39.97, with 20.32 for asset returns.

Based on Albemarle Corp. (ALB), the company’s capital structure generated 41.99 points at debt to equity in total, while total debt to capital is 29.57. Total debt to assets is 21.69, with long-term debt to equity ratio resting at 41.52. Finally, the long-term debt to capital ratio is 29.24.

When we switch over and look at the enterprise to sales, we see a ratio of 1.70, with the company’s debt to enterprise value settled at 0.12. The receivables turnover for the company is 6.81 and the total asset turnover is 0.55. The liquidity ratio also appears to be rather interesting for investors as it stands at 1.89.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Albemarle Corp. (ALB) has had a bad performance lately. Opinion on the stock among analysts is mixed, with some giving it a “buy” rating and others a “hold”. It’s important to note that the stock is currently trading at a significant distance from its 50-day moving average and its 52-week high.