LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Shares Acquired by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Free Report) by 6.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 307,496 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after buying an additional 18,311 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of LyondellBasell Industries worth $29,489,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 57,021 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $5,468,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 11.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,875,267 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $268,664,000 after purchasing an additional 293,622 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC grew its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 45.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 33,308 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,194,000 after buying an additional 10,359 shares during the last quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC increased its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 21,609 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $2,072,000 after buying an additional 2,498 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in LyondellBasell Industries during the 3rd quarter worth $658,000. 71.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on LYB. StockNews.com raised shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $94.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $96.00 to $86.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, LyondellBasell Industries presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $96.27.

LyondellBasell Industries Price Performance

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock traded up $0.11 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $74.12. 1,016,383 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,995,792. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $82.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $91.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. LyondellBasell Industries has a fifty-two week low of $72.93 and a fifty-two week high of $107.02.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $10.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.60 billion. LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 5.29% and a return on equity of 17.05%. LyondellBasell Industries's revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that LyondellBasell Industries will post 7.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. LyondellBasell Industries's payout ratio is currently 81.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LyondellBasell Industries

In related news, Director Robin W.T. Buchanan purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $76.06 per share, for a total transaction of $380,300.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 18,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,382,390.50. This trade represents a 37.95 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.11% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

LyondellBasell Industries Company 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.