Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.84 EPS

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The basic materials company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by ($0.84), MarketWatch Earnings reports. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile had a return on equity of 71.64% and a net margin of 34.41%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.85 EPS.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE:SQM opened at $48.28 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.79 billion, a PE ratio of 3.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 1.67. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $54.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.58. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile has a 1 year low of $44.86 and a 1 year high of $101.73.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 1st were paid a $0.6094 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 2nd. This is an increase from Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile’s dividend payout ratio is 12.60%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SQM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 18th. StockNews.com started coverage on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective (down previously from $69.00) on shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. Scotiabank raised Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and set a $84.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $85.00 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $79.39.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile during the 1st quarter worth about $346,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 48.9% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $918,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 11,471 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $982,000 after purchasing an additional 1,694 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 44.8% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 5,814 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 1,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 938,593 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $80,344,000 after purchasing an additional 69,385 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.94% of the company’s stock.

About Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers.