Why LSB Industries Shares Imploded

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of LSB Industries (NYS: LXU) , a manufacturer of geothermal and water-source heat pumps and chemicals, are imploding, or should I say exploding, after the company announced that an explosion at its El Dorado, Ark., chemical plant will sideline operations there indefinitely. Shares are down 22% as of this writing.

So what: It hasn't even been a week since I mentioned that LSB's stable cash flow from its chemical business should be enough to propel the stock higher. This shows that you simply can't factor Acts of God into your stock analysis. LSB's noted that a reactor at the concentrated nitric acid plant exploded and it currently doesn't have an estimate on the total damages or the time it will take to repair the plant.

Now what: I'm not much for advocating trying to catch a falling knife, but this move lower seems like a fantastic buying opportunity. Just last week, LSB reported strong results that had the stock popping, but it's admittedly much harder to value the company now with its chemical results obviously affected. I'll keep my eyes peeled as more details emerge, but I'm still inclined to believe LSB Industries is a long-term winner.

Craving more input? Start by adding LSB Industries to your free and personalized watchlist so you can keep up on the latest news with the company.

At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributor Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of LSB Industries. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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