<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Greenwood Capital Associates LLC purchased a new position in  Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 50,156 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $4,067,000.</p><ul><li>3 Signals Pointing to a Turnaround for Albemarle</li></ul><p>Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in  Albemarle by 10,050.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 406 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter.  CVA Family Office LLC lifted its stake in shares of  Albemarle by 7,257.1% in the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 515 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 508 shares in the last quarter.  EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in  Albemarle by 536.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 483 shares during the last quarter.  Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in  Albemarle by 248.0% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 689 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 491 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in  Albemarle by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 727 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. 92.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. </p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><p>A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Albemarle from a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating to a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Albemarle from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America  reissued a &#34;neutral&#34; rating and set a $100.00 price objective (up previously from $95.00) on shares of Albemarle in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Citigroup raised their target price on Albemarle from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a &#34;neutral&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, HSBC boosted their price target on shares of Albemarle from $87.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. One equities research analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned  a Buy rating, eighteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued  a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of &#34;Hold&#34; and an average price target of $120.21.</p><ul><li>5 Surprising Stocks Set to Benefit From a Future Robotics Boom</li></ul><p><b>Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ALB</b></p><h2>Albemarle Stock Performance</h2><p>Shares of Albemarle stock opened at $149.99 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $17.65 billion, a PE ratio of -94.33 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Albemarle Corporation has a 52 week low of $49.43 and a 52 week high of $152.08. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $118.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $91.10. </p><ul><li>5 EV Battery and Lithium Stocks Charging the Future</li></ul><p>Albemarle (NYSE:ALB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.92) by $0.73. Albemarle had a positive return on equity of 0.10% and a negative net margin of 0.43%.The firm had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned ($1.55) EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis.  Equities analysts forecast that  Albemarle Corporation will post -0.04 earnings per share for the current year. </p><h2>Albemarle Announces Dividend</h2><p>The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Albemarle's payout ratio is -101.89%. </p><h2>Albemarle Profile</h2> (Free Report)<p>Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company's bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.  </p><p>Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world's foremost chemical producers.</p><h2>Further Reading</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Albemarle</li><li>Do not delete, read immediately</li><li>INVESTOR ALERT: Tiny “$3 AI Wonder Stock” on the Verge of Blasting Off</li><li>Can Any Expenses Be Deducted From Capital Gains Tax?</li><li>Do you know what Amazon is planning for January 1?</li><li>Buffett, Gates and Bezos Quietly Dumping Stocks—Here's Why</li></ul><p><strong>Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALB?</strong> Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB - Free Report).</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPUFMQg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPUFMQg"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Albemarle Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Albemarle, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Albemarle wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Albemarle currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

<p>Greenwood Capital Associates LLC acquired 50,156 shares of Albemarle Corporation, valued at approximately $4,067,000, during the third quarter. This purchase is part of a broader trend of institutional investors adjusting their stakes in Albemarle. The company's stock has received mixed ratings from analysts, with a current average rating of 'Hold' and an average price target of $120.21. Albemarle recently reported quarterly earnings, exceeding expectations, and announced a quarterly dividend.</p>

Greenwood Capital Associates LLC Buys Shares of 50,156 Albemarle Corporation $ALB