Orion (NYSE:OEC) Stock Rating Upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) was upgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $21.00 price target on the specialty chemicals company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $20.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target points to a potential upside of 19.66% from the company’s previous close.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Orion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th.

Orion Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE OEC opened at $17.55 on Monday. Orion has a 1 year low of $14.94 and a 1 year high of $28.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.39. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $16.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.22. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 33.62 and a beta of 1.48.

Orion (NYSE:OEC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.06). Orion had a return on equity of 18.82% and a net margin of 1.67%. The firm had revenue of $463.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $489.01 million. On average, research analysts predict that Orion will post 1.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Orion

In other Orion news, CEO Corning F. Painter bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.69 per share, with a total value of $176,900.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 958,776 shares in the company, valued at $16,960,747.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Orion

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Orion by 207.0% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,094 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,412 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in shares of Orion in the second quarter valued at approximately $54,000. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in Orion during the third quarter worth approximately $69,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Orion by 1,375.1% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,791 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 3,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP grew its holdings in Orion by 76.9% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,776 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 2,076 shares in the last quarter. 94.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.