United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Monday morning.

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Performance

United States Lime & Minerals stock opened at $91.93 on Monday. United States Lime & Minerals has a 52-week low of $54.21 and a 52-week high of $159.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23 and a beta of 0.91. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $112.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.42.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. United States Lime & Minerals had a return on equity of 24.55% and a net margin of 34.27%.

United States Lime & Minerals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This is an increase from United States Lime & Minerals’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.26%. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.33%.

Insider Transactions at United States Lime & Minerals

In related news, Director Sandra C. Duhe sold 3,157 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total transaction of $298,683.77. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,128 shares in the company, valued at $201,330.08. This represents a 59.74 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in USLM. Creative Planning bought a new position in United States Lime & Minerals in the third quarter valued at about $258,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 900.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 310 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 360 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp increased its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 398.7% during the 3rd quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp now owns 31,245 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 24,980 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 66,850 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,529,000 after purchasing an additional 53,480 shares during the period. 27.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United States Lime & Minerals Company Profile

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of lime and limestone products. Its products include High Calcium Quicklime, Hydrated Lime, Lime Kiln Dust, Lime Slurry, and High Calcium Limestone. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.