Zacks Investment Research cut shares of W. R. Grace & Co (NYSE:GRA) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Wednesday, Market Beat reports.

According to Zacks, “W. R. Grace & Co. produces specialty chemicals. They primarily operate through the following two business segments: Davison Chemicals and Performance Chemicals. Davison Chemicals manufactures catalysts (fluid cracking, hydroprocessing and polyolein) and silica and zeolite absorbents. Performance Chemicals produces specialty construction and building materials, along with container and closure sealants. “

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on GRA. Jefferies Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $115.00 price objective (down previously from $117.00) on shares of W. R. Grace & Co in a research report on Thursday, January 14th. KeyBanc reiterated a buy rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of W. R. Grace & Co in a research report on Wednesday, December 30th. BB&T Corp. began coverage on W. R. Grace & Co in a research report on Wednesday, December 9th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on W. R. Grace & Co in a research report on Monday, November 30th. They set a hold rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $107.50.

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in W. R. Grace & Co stock. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in W. R. Grace & Co (NYSE:GRA) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $331,000.

Shares of W. R. Grace & Co (NYSE:GRA) traded down 1.87% on Wednesday, hitting $78.65. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,832,519 shares. W. R. Grace & Co has a 52 week low of $78.56 and a 52 week high of $104.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion and a P/E ratio of 41.55. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $93.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $97.41.

W.R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA) is engaged in the production and sale of specialty chemicals and specialty materials on a global basis. The Company operates in three segments: Grace Catalysts Technologies, which includes catalysts and related products and refining, petrochemical and other chemical manufacturing technologies; Grace Materials Technologies, which includes packaging technologies and engineered materials, and Grace Construction Products, which includes specialty construction chemicals and specialty building materials. Its brands include Sylojet, Syloid, Shieldex, Sylosiv, Sylowhite, Durafill, Ludox, Sylodent, Syloblanc, Daraclar, Trisyl, Perkasil, Phonosorb, Sylobead, Cryosiv, Safetysorb, Poliedge, Sylobloc, Synthetech, Davisil, Vydac, Modcol, Spring, Multipacker, Reveleris, Revealx, Graceresolv, Visionht, Vydac, Alltech, Alltima, Sodasorb, Darex, Daraform, Daraseal, Darablend, Sincera, Celox, Apperta and Sistiaga.

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