United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Upgraded to Buy 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 released on Monday morning.

United States Lime & Minerals Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of USLM stock opened at $91.93 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $112.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.42. United States Lime & Minerals has a 12 month low of $54.21 and a 12 month high of $159.53. The company has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.23 and a beta of 0.91.

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

United States Lime & Minerals Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other United States Lime & Minerals news, Director Sandra C. Duhe sold 3,157 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total transaction of $298,683.77. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,128 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $201,330.08. This trade represents a 59.74 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in USLM. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 714,224 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $94,806,000 after purchasing an additional 10,614 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 507,541 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $67,372,000 after acquiring an additional 28,947 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 202.6% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 489,909 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,845,000 after purchasing an additional 327,983 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP raised its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 322.3% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 352,200 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $34,396,000 after acquiring an additional 268,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Select Equity Group L.P. increased its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 46.3% in the 4th quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 328,354 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $43,586,000 after buying an additional 103,948 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 27.12% of the company’s stock.

About United States Lime & Minerals

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.