United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Shares Down 3.4% – Here’s Why

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM)’s stock price was down 3.4% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $127.85 and last traded at $128.28. Approximately 29,919 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 70% from the average daily volume of 100,901 shares. The stock had previously closed at $132.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

United States Lime & Minerals Trading Up 0.7 %

The firm has a market cap of $3.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a 50 day moving average of $137.89 and a 200 day moving average of $102.21.

United States Lime & Minerals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.80%.

Insider Activity at United States Lime & Minerals

In related news, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total transaction 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 approximately $17,716,816.92. This trade represents a 15.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total value of $244,527.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This trade represents a 18.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in USLM. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $47,845,000 after acquiring an additional 327,983 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP increased its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 322.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 352,200 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $34,396,000 after purchasing an additional 268,800 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 422.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 308,049 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $30,089,000 after purchasing an additional 249,115 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 421.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 242,826 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $23,714,000 after purchasing an additional 196,277 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 158,910 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,872,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. 27.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.