Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX) has received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $54.3333.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on CENX shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Century Aluminum from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Century Aluminum from $46.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Century Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Century Aluminum in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on shares of Century Aluminum from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th.

Century Aluminum Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENX opened at $51.56 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $46.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.61. Century Aluminum has a 1-year low of $13.05 and a 1-year high of $55.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 128.90 and a beta of 2.16.

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25. Century Aluminum had a net margin of 1.65% and a return on equity of 5.55%. The business had revenue of $633.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $661.63 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.49 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Century Aluminum will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John Dezee sold 66,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.72, for a total value of $3,347,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 97,647 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,952,655.84. The trade was a 40.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jesse E. Gary sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.19, for a total value of $7,228,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 292,580 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,099,430.20. The trade was a 33.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Century Aluminum

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CENX. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Century Aluminum during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in Century Aluminum in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Century Aluminum by 48.3% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,185 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 68.9% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 497 shares during the period. 61.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a primary aluminum producer that develops and operates smelters designed to supply low-carbon, high-purity aluminum products to a range of industrial and commercial markets. Established in 1995, the company has grown to become a significant North American aluminum producer with an expanding international footprint. Century Aluminum is headquartered in the United States and is focused on energy-efficient operations and cost management.

The company’s core operations include three primary aluminum smelting facilities located in Hawesville, Kentucky; Mount Holly, South Carolina; and Grundartangi, Iceland.