LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC lessened its stake in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Free Report) by 28.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 739,876 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 298,811 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.23% of LyondellBasell Industries worth $54,951,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Webster Bank N. A. grew its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 70.4% during the fourth quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 346 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 268.2% in the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 405 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich acquired a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.20% of the company's stock.

LyondellBasell Industries Trading Up 1.4 %

NYSE:LYB traded up $1.05 on Monday, reaching $75.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,365,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,690,986. The firm has a market cap of $24.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. LyondellBasell Industries has a 12-month low of $71.81 and a 12-month high of $107.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $76.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.76.

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LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.53). LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 3.39%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.26 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.13%. LyondellBasell Industries's dividend payout ratio is presently 129.47%.

Insider Activity

In other LyondellBasell Industries news, Director Michael Sean Hanley bought 3,750 shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $72.05 per share, for a total transaction of $270,187.50. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 16,028 shares in the company, valued at $1,154,817.40. This represents a 30.54 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on LYB shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on LyondellBasell Industries from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $96.00 to $86.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $97.00 to $85.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, LyondellBasell Industries presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $88.25.

LyondellBasell Industries Profile

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology.