Pressure should spur Huntsman

Article Excerpt

HUNTSMAN CORP. $40 is a buy. The company (New York symbol HUN; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 214.4 million; Market cap: $8.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.2%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.huntsman.com) is a leading producer of specialty chemicals for makers of adhesives, textiles, construction materials, paints, detergents and automotive products. Hedge fund Starboard Value, which owns an 8.2% stake in Huntsman, now aims to place four of its representatives on the company’s board of directors. In response, Huntsman now plans to sell its slower-growing textile effects division, which accounts for 6% of its total sales. The company also announced a $1 billion share buyback plan and raised the quarterly dividend by 13.3%. The new annual rate of $0.85 yields 2.2%. The stock has gained 36% in the past year, but still trades at a low 10.0 times the likely 2022 earnings of $4.02 a share. Huntsman is a buy. buy…