Truist Securities Cuts Albemarle (ALB) Price Target to $185
Key Points
- Truist Securities reiterated its Buy rating on Albemarle Corporation while moving its price target from $225 to $185 on October 20, 2026.
- Truist Securities's $185 price target implies 96.45% upside from Albemarle Corporation's ($ALB) current $94.17 share price.
- Albemarle recently traded around $94.17 on October 22, 2026, sitting below its 50-day moving average of $117.25 and its 200-day moving average of $152.50.
- Chief Executive Officer Jerry Kent Masters Jr. reported insider dispositions earlier in the year, including a sale of 16,393 shares on May 15, 2026.
Since the rating, $ALB is down 1.4% to date (from the $95.77 close on Oct 20, 2026).
Get Albemarle text alerts
We text you when insiders, Congress, analysts or big funds move on $ALB.
By entering your mobile number and tapping the sign-up button, you provide express written consent to receive recurring automated text messages from TradeTexts at that number, including stock alerts about SEC filings, insider and congress trades, analyst ratings, hedge fund moves, and earnings results. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message frequency varies. Messages are not investment advice. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to opt out at any time. See our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Not investment advice. TradeTexts is not a registered investment adviser, and this automated Albemarle Corporation alert may contain errors. Disclosures
Truist Securities maintained its Buy rating on Albemarl Corporation while lowering its price target from $225 to $185 on October 20, 2026. Albemarle closed at $95.77 on the day of the rating adjustment. The updated price target highlights a gap between the firm's outlook and where the specialty chemicals provider trades in the market.
ALB
Albemarle Corporation
Truist Securities' Call on Albemarle
On October 20, 2026, Truist Securities kept its Buy rating on Albemarle while dropping the price target by $40 from $225. Wall Street firms frequently adjust their targets to match shifting sector conditions, though analyst ratings represent forward-looking opinions rather than historical measures.
Other Institutional Activity in Albemarle
Barclays Plc grew its holdings by 2,060,823 shares, ending with 3,296,551 shares worth about $302,260,769. Primecap Management Company trimmed its stake by 12,791 shares, ending with 2,652,009 shares worth roughly $243,162,711.
Albemarle Corporation Stock Down 0.3%
Albemarle recently traded around $94.17 on October 22, 2026, putting the stock down about 1.7% since the rating update. The shares sit below the 50-day moving average of $117.25 and well under the 200-day moving average of $152.50. The stock traded near a 52-week low of $88.01, far from its 52-week high of $221.00.
$ALB price target
Albemarle Corporation daily closes and this analyst's $185 target. Not advice.
Recent Earnings
Albemarle reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of $5,907,904,000 alongside trailing earnings of $0.27 per share. The company posted a net profit margin of 3.8% and a return on equity of 2.6%, with year-over-year revenue growth reaching 31.1%. The company's next earnings report is scheduled for November 4, 2026.
Earnings drift grade
Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.
-
Forward outlook
8 analysts raised price targets.
-
EPS & revenue
EPS beat estimates by 166.8%. Revenue beat estimates by 7.2%.
-
Profit surprise
EBITDA missed by 36 percent. Operating income beat by 41 percent.
-
Pre-earnings setup
Expectations were about average.
-
Analyst signal
8 target raises.
-
Earnings quality
Gross margin up 20.7 points. Operating margin up 14.7 points. Positive free cash flow.
Earnings Call Summary
Albemarle had a strong first quarter with $1.43 billion in revenue, up 33 percent from last year, and $664 million in adjusted earnings, more than double the prior year. The company benefited from higher lithium prices (up 51 percent), increased volumes in Energy Storage of 14 percent, and successful cost cutting that saved $40 million so far this year. The company paid down $1.3 billion of debt, improving its financial flexibility, and generated $248 million in free cash flow in the quarter.
Guidance Management raised their full year outlook for the Specialties business, now expecting between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion in sales and $225 million to $275 million in adjusted earnings. They kept their Energy Storage outlook unchanged despite supply chain disruptions from the Middle East, estimating the cost impact at $70 million to $90 million. The company expects to offset these costs through lower interest expense from debt paydown and better than expected Specialties pricing and volumes.
Good report. The company beat and showed some forward improvement, with a few meaningful caveats.
Dividend
Albemarle pays an annual dividend rate of $1.64 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 1.74%. The payout ratio stands at 600.0% based on trailing results.
Insider Buying and Selling at Albemarle Corporation
Chief Executive Officer Jerry Kent Masters Jr. disposed of 11,783 shares on March 10, 2026. Later, on May 15, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer parted with an additional 16,393 shares valued at $3,011,766.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Argus Research maintained its Buy rating on October 7, 2026, while lowering its target to $135 from $230. Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal-Weight rating and a $109 price target on October 13, 2026. Mizuho upgraded the stock to Outperform with a $130 target on October 14, 2026. RBC Capital maintained an Outperform rating while reducing its target to $129 from $157 on October 15, 2026. Across the broader analyst community, the stock holds a consensus buy rating with a mean target price of $156.35.
About Albemarle
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Albemarle Corporation operates in the basic materials sector as a specialty chemicals provider. The company focuses on energy storage solutions, producing lithium compounds used in electric vehicle batteries, consumer electronics, and renewable energy grids, alongside specialized catalyst and chemical products.
Bottom Line
Investors will look toward Albemarle's upcoming earnings release on November 4, 2026, for fresh details on its operations. The divergence between the current trading price and analyst price targets remains a key point of focus for market participants tracking the stock.
Related Filing Alerts
Source: Truist Securities's rating change on $ALB (Oct 20, 2026). Written by software, not financial advice. How we make alerts