LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Shares Sold by Marathon Asset Management Ltd

Marathon Asset Management Ltd lessened its stake in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Free Report) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 272,211 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 4,895 shares during the quarter. Marathon Asset Management Ltd owned 0.08% of LyondellBasell Industries worth $20,217,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 18.2% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,687 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $99,557,000 after acquiring an additional 159,803 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,229,416 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $501,501,000 after purchasing an additional 187,150 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 23.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 61,897 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $5,936,000 after purchasing an additional 11,610 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 202.4% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,986 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $964,000 after purchasing an additional 8,691 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 271,626 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $20,174,000 after buying an additional 20,310 shares during the last quarter. 71.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LYB traded up $1.92 on Wednesday, reaching $75.39. The company's stock had a trading volume of 588,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,050,282. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52-week low of $72.21 and a 52-week high of $107.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.05. The stock's 50-day moving average is $75.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.53). LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 3.39% and a return on equity of 15.97%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.26 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 EPS for the current year.

LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. LyondellBasell Industries's dividend payout ratio is presently 129.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LYB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of 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. lowered their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $88.25.

Insider Activity at LyondellBasell Industries

In other LyondellBasell Industries news, Director Robin W.T. Buchanan acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $76.06 per share, with a total value of $380,300.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 18,175 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,382,390.50. This trade represents a 37.95 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.