United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Stock Price Up 3.9% – Should You Buy?

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) shares shot up 3.9% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $121.99 and last traded at $121.81. 26,340 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 128,780 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.27.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded United States Lime & Minerals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd.

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average is $139.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $103.87. The firm has a market cap of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.53 and a beta of 0.93.

United States Lime & Minerals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 22nd. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.80%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United States Lime & Minerals news, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total value of $3,155,051.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 125,004 shares in the company, valued at $17,716,816.92. This trade represents a 15.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total value of $244,527.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This represents a 18.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 5.2% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 17,553 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,392,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new position in United States Lime & Minerals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $233,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in United States Lime & Minerals during the second quarter worth $125,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 10.5% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,120 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,778,000 after acquiring an additional 1,246 shares during the period. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals in the 2nd quarter valued at about $21,119,000. 27.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United States Lime & Minerals Company Profile

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc manufactures and supplies lime and limestone products in the United States. It extracts limestone from open-pit quarries and an underground mine, and processes it as pulverized limestone, quicklime, hydrated lime, and lime slurry. The company supplies its products primarily to the construction customers, including highway, road, and building contractors; industrial customers, such as paper and glass manufacturers; environmental customers comprising municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities, and flue gas treatment processes; oil and gas services companies; roof shingle manufacturers; and poultry producers.