Albemarle’s fourth-quarter revenue is forecast at $2.6 billion, which would be up 24.3% sequentially and by about 191% year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $8.37, up 11.6% sequentially and more than 700% higher year over year. For the full 2022 fiscal year, analysts expect Albemarle to report EPS of $21.75, up almost 440%, on sales of $7.3 billion, up 120%.
Albemarle stock trades at about 12.4 times expected 2022 EPS, 9.3 times estimated 2023 earnings of $29.00 and 9.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $28.51 per share. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $169.93 to $334.55. Albemarle pays an annual dividend of $1.58 (yield of 0.59%). Total shareholder return over the past year was 17.67%.
Antero Resources
Independent oil and gas producer Antero Resources Corp. (NYSE: AR) is a major producer of natural gas liquids and natural gas in the Appalachian Basin. Over the past 12 months, the company’s share price has increased by nearly 39%. Between January and early June of last year, the stock soared by 170%. From then until early July, the stock plunged by 40%. Natural gas prices have fallen from $8.80 per million BTUs in August to around $2.54 Tuesday morning. The EU gas market correction mechanism comes into force Tuesday, and that will not help.
Analysts are bullish on Antero stock. Of 17 brokerages surveyed, 10 have a Buy or Strong Buy rating and six more rate the shares at Hold. At a price of around $28.00 a share, the upside potential based on a median price target of $39.50 is 41.1%. At the high price target of $51.00, the upside potential is 82.1%.
Fourth-quarter revenue is forecast at $1.53 billion, down 26.1% sequentially and 36.0% lower year over year. Analysts expect Antero to post EPS of $0.96, down 45.1% sequentially but up 93.5% year over year. For the full fiscal 2022 year, EPS are forecast at $5.66, up 292.5% year over year, on sales of $6.58 billion, up 42.5%.
Antero stock trades at 5.0 times expected 2022 earnings, 5.9 times estimated 2023 earnings of $4.76 per share and 6.0 times estimated 2024 earnings of $4.66 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $19.38 to $48.80. The company does not pay a dividend, and total shareholder return for the past year was 39%.
Cisco Systems
Networking giant and Dow component Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) has posted a share price decline of 11.2% over the past 12 months. Since sinking to a new 52-week low in mid-October, the stock is up about 18.8%, but most of that gain had come by mid-November. Since then, shares have bounced around in a range of about $2.00 up or down. The company announced a layoff of about 4,100 workers in November, and the CEO recently said there would be no more anytime soon.
Analysts remain mildly bullish on Cisco, with 12 of 27 having a Buy or Strong Buy rating and 14 more having Hold ratings. At a share price of around $48.00, the upside potential based on a median price target of $52.00 is 8.3%. At the high price target of $67.00, the upside potential is 39.6%.
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