Is Most-Watched Stock Albemarle Corporation (ALB) Worth Betting on Now?

Core Viewpoint - Albemarle has shown strong stock performance with a +19.6% return over the past month, contrasting with the S&P 500's -2.8% and the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry's -11% [1] Earnings Estimates Revisions - For the current quarter, Albemarle is expected to report a loss of $0.76 per share, reflecting a +30.3% change year-over-year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate change of -15.3% over the last 30 days [4] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is -$1.24, indicating a +47% change from the previous year, with a +22.2% change in estimates over the last 30 days [4] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $0.35 shows a +128.1% change from the prior year, but has decreased by -46.2% over the past month [5] Revenue Growth Forecast - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $1.36 billion, indicating a +10.2% year-over-year change [10] - For the current fiscal year, the sales estimate is $5.07 billion, reflecting a -5.7% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate of $5.23 billion indicates a +3.2% change [10] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - Albemarle reported revenues of $1.31 billion in the last quarter, a -3.5% year-over-year change, with an EPS of -$0.19 compared to -$1.55 a year ago [11] - The reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.29 billion by +1.23%, and the EPS surprise was +79.35% [11] - Over the last four quarters, Albemarle surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times and revenue estimates two times [12] Valuation - Albemarle's valuation metrics indicate it is trading at a premium to its peers, receiving a Zacks Value Style Score of D, suggesting it may be overvalued [16]