In the latest trading session, Albemarle (ALB) closed at $164.93, marking a -3.34% move from the previous day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.54%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.05%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.56%.
The stock of specialty chemicals company has risen by 18.55% in the past month, leading the Basic Materials sector's gain of 7.23% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.74%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Albemarle in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on February 11, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be -$0.52, reflecting a 52.29% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $1.35 billion, up 9.58% from the year-ago period.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of -$0.9 per share and a revenue of $5.06 billion, indicating changes of +61.54% and 0%, respectively, from the former year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Albemarle should also be noted by investors. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 180.18% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Currently, Albemarle is carrying a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Digging into valuation, Albemarle currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 48.83. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 16.91.
Investors should also note that ALB has a PEG ratio of 3.05 right now. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Chemical - Diversified industry had an average PEG ratio of 3.05 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 210, positioning it in the bottom 15% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
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Albemarle Corporation (ALB): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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