Investors may be taking a closer look at shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB). Sometimes the stock market can be frustrating, even for the most experienced investors. Even when a stock looks good and results are meeting expectations, the market may decide to shift otherwise. This may lead to feelings of uncertainty and cause some second guessing. Investors may be following historical price data to gain some further insight on where the stock has been and where it may be headed. After a recent look, the stock has been seen trading near the $96.77 mark. Looking back over the past 4 weeks, shares have moved 1.43%. Over the last 5 days, the stock has seen a change of -5.77%. Looking at the last 12 week period, we note that the stock has moved 1.81%. Since the beginning of the calendar year, we note that shares have changed -24.33%. Investors will often track the current stock price relative to its 52-week high and low levels. The 52-week high is currently 137.45, and the 52-week low is resting at 88.96. When shares are trading near the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may narrow the focus to see if there will be breakout.
Technical investors generally rely heavily on price charts to help spot potential trades. Chartists will often try to interpret past movements with the goal of trying to gauge the future share price movements. Some charts can be extremely complex while others may be quite simple. Many traders will spend countless hours studying the signals to try to spot optimal entry and exit points. There are many different indicators that technical analysts can follow. Some traders will use standalone signals, and others will use a robust combination. Getting into the nitty-gritty of charting can be overwhelming for the beginner. Taking the time to completely understand what the charts are saying can be the difference between a big win and a major loss.
Tracking the current quarter consensus EPS estimate for Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB), we have noted that the number is currently 1.47. This estimate is using 10 contributing analysts polled by Zacks Research. For the last quarter, the company posted a quarterly EPS of 1.31. Sell-side Wall Street analysts study companies and provide their opinions of where the stock might be going in the future. A lot of weight is given to analyst estimates, and earnings beats or misses revolve around these predictions. Sometimes these estimates are very close to the actual, and other times they are not. When a company announces actual earnings results, a large surprise factor can result in increased volatility. If a company beats estimates and posts a positive earnings surprise, the stock may see a near-term bump in price. On the flip side, a negative surprise may move the stock lower. Based on the unknown, many investors may choose to trade with caution around earnings releases.
Analysts have set a target price on shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB). The current consensus price target is $121.82. Wall Street analysts often provide price target projections on stocks that they cover. Price target projections can be created using a wide variety of methods. Many investors will closely track stock target prices, especially when analysts make updates. A thorough research report will generally offer detailed reasoning for a certain target projection. Some investors may watch sell-side targets very closely and use the information to help with their own stock research.
Sell-side analysts have the capability of providing stock ratings for companies that they cover. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average broker rating on shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) is 1.65. This average rating includes analysts who have offered Sell, Buy and Hold ratings on the stock. This rating falls on a numeric scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 would indicate a Buy recommendation, and a score of 5 would represent a Sell recommendation. Out of all the analysts offering ratings, 12 have pegged the stock a Strong Buy or Buy, based on data provided by Zacks Research.
As any seasoned investor knows, trading stocks can be both exiting and scary. Figuring out how to profit in the market may take a lot of time and dedication. Many novice investors may jump into the markets without any kind of research. Some people may prefer to let professionals deal with their investments. With so much available information, investors may need to find out how to separate the important data from the unimportant data. As we move further into the second half of the year, investors are most likely monitoring market momentum to try and figure out how stocks will finish the year. With the stock market still trading at high levels, investors may be looking for certain stocks that still have room to move higher. Finding these stocks may be tricky, but doing the necessary research may help spot some names that will make a positive impact on the future of the portfolio.
