ALB
Albemarle CorporationNYSEMaterialsSpecialty ChemicalsSnapshot 2026-05-08
As of May 8, 2026, ALB has a composite score of -11.8 and a signal label of "cautious." The company momentum score increased by 29.7 points to 19.7, while the valuation label changed from "None" to "expensive." The overall analysis is provisional, reflecting current macroeconomic factors such as growth, inflation, labor, and rates.
Price
Daily closes from AlphaVantage. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Factor signals
Read top-to-bottom: thesis (is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold), watch flags (has something changed worth re-reading), and position context (how violent might the path be). Each pill is a parallel diagnostic — never aggregated into a single score.
Thesis
— is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold?Why this rank
- Direction share-0.95
- Slope (norm)-0.86
- Bonus0.00
Why this rank
Trailing four: 2024-Q3, 2025-Q1, 2025-Q2, 2025-Q3
Why this rank
Watch
— has something changed worth re-reading?Buyback / dividend activity on weakening fundamentals — historically a value-trap pattern (48% T+1y positive return vs 69% baseline in IT 2024-26).
Why this setup
EPS estimate $2.05 → $2.01 (-2.1% / 30d). 4 raised, 1 cut, 2 covering analysts.
0 upgrades, 1 downgrade / 30d, 7 maintained. 46% of analysts rate Buy.
5 PT revisions / 30d. Avg target 26.3% above current price.
0 positive, 1 negative / 30d. See F4 management tile for the event list.
F4 · Management deep-dive — recent events, stated priorities, guidance track record
Recent 8-K events
14 material events in the last 24 months — top 5 listed below.
Stated priorities
3 priorityies extracted from earnings transcripts (as of 2026-05-08).
- 1.Maintain revenue guidancegrowthmixed65% progress
5/6: “Net sales $4.1 - $4.3 billion”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Revenue guidance maintained at $4.1 - $4.3 billion for 2026. Despite a challenging market, Albemarle has consistently reiterated this guidance, indicating a focus on stability and growth.
- 2.Flat capital expenditurescapital allocationmixed37% progress
5/6: “Capital expenditures to be roughly flat compared to 2025, in the range of $550 million to $600 million.”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Capital expenditures guidance maintained at $550 - $600 million for 2026. Albemarle has consistently communicated this target, reflecting a disciplined approach to capital allocation.
- 3.Achieve adjusted EBITDA targetgrowthmixed65% progress
5/6: “Adjusted EBITDA $0.9 - $1.0 billion”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Adjusted EBITDA guidance maintained at $0.9 - $1.0 billion for 2026. Albemarle has reiterated this target, indicating a focus on operational efficiency and profitability.
Guidance track record
Insufficient guidance history for this ticker.
Position context
— how violent might the path be while I hold it?Why this risk level
Recent vol — 30d annualized 68%; 252d 61%.
Drawdown — Max 1y −20%. Bad day move −6%.
Beta to sector ETF (XLB) — 0.02 over 1y.
Liquidity — score 100/100.
Sub-scores — vol 0/100, drawdown 60/100, beta 2/100, earnings vol —.
via XLB
Tailwind = sector leading the S&P 500; headwind = trailing. Both can be constructive — historically, headwind regimes have averaged stronger forward returns than tailwind.
Context label only — describes the market state (e.g. real bear vs narrative panic, healthy uptrend vs late-stage froth). It is not a per-ticker buy/sell signal and does not predict factor performance.
Not investment advice. As of 2026-05-08.
What changed
The most important moves since the prior daily snapshot.
- score change · company_momentum_scoreseverity 50
Company momentum rose by 29.7 points (from -10.0 to 19.7).
- label change · signal_labelseverity 30
Signal changed from 'mixed' to 'cautious'.
- label change · valuation_labelseverity 20
Valuation label changed from 'None' to 'expensive'.
As of May 8, 2026, the company momentum score for ALB rose by 29.7 points, changing from -10.0 to 19.7. The signal label changed from 'mixed' to 'cautious', and the valuation label changed from 'None' to 'expensive'.
as of 2026-05-08
Management scorecard
How management runs the business — capital, margins, balance sheet, and how reliably they guide and deliver.
What management is focused on
Priorities management has stated in recent disclosures, with status and evidence drawn from earnings calls, filings, and press releases.
- #1
Maintain revenue guidance
GrowthNew since 2026-05-04Albemarle aims to maintain its revenue guidance for the fiscal year 2026.
On track →MixedStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Revenue guidance maintained at $4.1 - $4.3 billion for 2026. Despite a challenging market, Albemarle has consistently reiterated this guidance, indicating a focus on stability and growth.
Revenue guidance maintained at $4.1 - $4.3 billion for 202665%CEO/CFO:“Net sales $4.1 - $4.3 billion”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-06Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (2)
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Net sales $4.1 - $4.3 billion”
- 2025-Q4Multiple sources
“Net sales $4.1 - $4.3 billion”
- #2
Flat capital expenditures
Capital allocationNew since 2026-05-04Albemarle plans to keep its capital expenditures flat for the fiscal year 2026.
MixedStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Capital expenditures guidance maintained at $550 - $600 million for 2026. Albemarle has consistently communicated this target, reflecting a disciplined approach to capital allocation.
Capital expenditures guidance maintained at $550 - $600 million for 202637%CEO/CFO:“Capital expenditures to be roughly flat compared to 2025, in the range of $550 million to $600 million.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-06Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (2)
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Capital expenditures to be roughly flat compared to 2025, in the range of $550 million to $600 million.”
- 2025-Q4Multiple sources
“Capital expenditures to be roughly flat compared to 2025, in the range of $550 million to $600 million.”
- #3
Achieve adjusted EBITDA target
GrowthNew since 2026-05-04Albemarle aims to achieve its adjusted EBITDA target for the fiscal year 2026.
On track →MixedStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Adjusted EBITDA guidance maintained at $0.9 - $1.0 billion for 2026. Albemarle has reiterated this target, indicating a focus on operational efficiency and profitability.
Adjusted EBITDA guidance maintained at $0.9 - $1.0 billion for 202665%CEO/CFO:“Adjusted EBITDA $0.9 - $1.0 billion”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-06Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (2)
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Adjusted EBITDA $0.9 - $1.0 billion”
- 2025-Q4Multiple sources
“Adjusted EBITDA $0.9 - $1.0 billion”
How this stock is priced
Two ways to read price: against peers in the same business, and against the company's own history.
Not enough peers to compare yet.
Richer than its own typical valuation.
P/E over the last 5 years
38 monthly pointsHow this compares
A side-by-side read on composite, valuation, and risk versus peers.
| Stock | Composite | Valuation | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
ALB Albemarle Corporation | -12 | expensive | elevated |
LIN Linde plc | +24 | inexpensive | moderate |
NEM Newmont | +17 | inexpensive | elevated |
FCX Freeport-McMoRan | +6.4 | — | elevated |
SHW Sherwin-Williams | +18 | inexpensive | moderate |
Risk — how this stock moves
What a normal day looks like, what a bad day looks like, and the worst the last year has thrown at it.
What could change this view
Conditional scenarios — if X happens, the score would shift by about Y points. These are not predictions.
- If materials sector trend rises from +0.10 into 'improving' (>= +0.20)+5.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is raised (currently NEW as of 2026-05-06)+4.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is cut (currently NEW as of 2026-05-06)-8.0 pts
- If materials sector trend falls from +0.10 into 'weakening' (<= -0.20)-5.0 pts
- If growth state reverses from +0.25 (positive) to -0.25 (negative)-3.5 pts
Material updates
Recent SEC 8-K filings ranked by likely impact, confidence, and recency.
- 2026-05-063d agoItem 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On May 6, 2026 , Albemarle Corporation (the “Company”) issued a press release reporting its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. A copy of this release is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference. In addition, on May 7, 2026, the Company will hold a teleconference for analysts and media to discuss results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. The teleconference will be webcast on the Company…
earnings preannouncementnegativescore 74 - 2026-04-1721d agoItem 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. On April 13, 2026, Donald J. LaBauve Jr. advised Albemarle Corporation (the “Company ”) of his intent to retire from his position as Chief Accounting Officer, effective June 1, 2026, following more than 36 years of service to the Company. Mr. LaBauve’s retirement is not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the Company, including with resp…
executive changeneutralscore 35 - 2026-03-251mo agoItem 1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. On March 19, 2026, Albemarle Corporation (the “Company”), Albemarle Europe Srl, the lenders party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, entered into the third amendment (the “Third Amendment”) to that certain amended and restated credit agreement dated as of October 28, 2022, as previously amended on February 9, 2024 and October 31, 2024 (the “2022 Credit Agreement”). The Third Amendment modifies the 2022 Credit Agreement by, a…
capital allocationneutralscore 24 - 2026-03-062mo agoItem 2.01
Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. On March 2, 2026, Albemarle Corporation, a Virginia corporation (the “Company” or “Albemarle”), completed the previously announced sale of its 51% ownership interests (the “Sale”) in Ketjen Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Ketjen”), to ChemCat AcquisitionCo, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company organized by and affiliated with KPS Capital Partners LP, a New York based private equity firm. Ketjen’s business consists of developing, m…
mna activitypositivescore 16 - 2026-03-042mo agoItem 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. (d) Effective as of February 26, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Albemarle Corporation (the “Company”) appointed Ms. Michelle T. Collins and Mr. Mark R. Widmar as independent members of the Board. Ms. Collins has been appointed to the Board’s Audit & Finance Committee and Governance & Public Policy Committee. Mr. Widmar has been appoi…
executive changeneutralscore 13
Score history
The composite score, snapshot by snapshot. The dotted line at zero separates leaning-positive from leaning-negative.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.