United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 359,700 shares, a growth of 34.7% from the January 15th total of 267,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 125,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total transaction of $3,155,051.53. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 125,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,716,816.92. This represents a 15.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of United States Lime & Minerals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Voleon Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $552,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 111,932 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $14,858,000 after buying an additional 5,447 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in United States Lime & Minerals during the 4th quarter valued at $951,000. Nebula Research & Development LLC boosted its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 35.6% during the 4th quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 6,134 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $814,000 after acquiring an additional 1,612 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 22.3% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,220 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $561,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. 27.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Up 1.6 %

NASDAQ:USLM traded up $1.65 on Friday, hitting $104.32. The stock had a trading volume of 125,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 129,913. United States Lime & Minerals has a 52 week low of $49.02 and a 52 week high of $159.53. The business’s fifty day moving average is $124.55 and its 200 day moving average is $110.20. The company has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a PE ratio of 27.50 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 (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 declared 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 boost 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 yield of 0.23%. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of United States Lime & Minerals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday.

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.