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 Wednesday morning.

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Performance

USLM opened at $85.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.61 and a beta of 0.91. United States Lime & Minerals has a one year low of $57.61 and a one year high of $159.53. The business’s fifty day moving average is $97.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.00.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $0.94 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 business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.28%. This is an increase from United States Lime & Minerals’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.33%.

Insider Activity at United States Lime & Minerals

In other news, Director Sandra C. Duhe sold 3,157 shares of the business’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $201,330.08. The trade was a 59.74 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.62% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals during the 4th quarter worth about $250,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals during the fourth quarter worth about $520,000. Pinnacle Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals in the fourth quarter worth about $2,021,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 34.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 18,030 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,393,000 after acquiring an additional 4,592 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new stake in United States Lime & Minerals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $334,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.