Westlake Chemical Partners (NYSE:WLKP) Sees Large Volume Increase - Still a Buy?

Shares of Westlake Chemical Partners LP (NYSE:WLKP - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 75,595 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 71% from the previous session's volume of 44,104 shares.The stock last traded at $19.0250 and had previously closed at $18.72.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WLKP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Westlake Chemical Partners in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Zacks Research upgraded Westlake Chemical Partners to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Westlake Chemical Partners from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Westlake Chemical Partners presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Read Our Latest Analysis on Westlake Chemical Partners

Westlake Chemical Partners Trading Up 1.8%

The business's 50 day simple moving average is $19.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.33. The stock has a market cap of $672.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.62, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Westlake Chemical Partners (NYSE:WLKP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.01). Westlake Chemical Partners had a net margin of 4.34% and a return on equity of 6.00%. The firm had revenue of $308.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $303.00 million. On average, research analysts expect that Westlake Chemical Partners LP will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Westlake Chemical Partners Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be given a $0.4714 dividend. This represents a $1.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 10th. Westlake Chemical Partners's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 135.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Westlake Chemical Partners

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its position in Westlake Chemical Partners by 1.6% during the first quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 103,390 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,387,000 after purchasing an additional 1,610 shares in the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Westlake Chemical Partners by 24.6% in the second quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 37,923 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $838,000 after purchasing an additional 7,478 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Westlake Chemical Partners by 12.6% during the second quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,631 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $412,000 after acquiring an additional 2,084 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Westlake Chemical Partners by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 228,885 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,285,000 after purchasing an additional 8,424 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new position in Westlake Chemical Partners in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 78.28% of the company's stock.

Westlake Chemical Partners Company Profile

Westlake Chemical Partners LP acquires, develops, and operates ethylene production facilities and related assets in the United States. The company's ethylene production facilities primarily convert ethane into ethylene. It also sells ethylene co-products, such as propylene, crude butadiene, pyrolysis gasoline, and hydrogen directly to third parties on either a spot or contract basis.

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