78,331 United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. $USLM Shares Acquired by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) by 35.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 298,894 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 78,331 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in United States Lime & Minerals were worth $33,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of USLM. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 833.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 364 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 77.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 379 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals in the first quarter valued at about $90,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 18.5% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 743 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in United States Lime & Minerals during the second quarter worth about $102,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.12% of the company’s stock.

United States Lime & Minerals Trading Down 2.7%

USLM stock traded down $3.10 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $111.18. 112,482 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 144,779. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $114.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a PE ratio of 23.96 and a beta of 0.69. United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $96.27 and a 1-year high of $141.43.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The construction company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by ($0.16). United States Lime & Minerals had a net margin of 35.08% and a return on equity of 19.65%. The business had revenue of $106.19 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $122.00 million.

United States Lime & Minerals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Investors of record on Friday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 20th. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Holdings Ltd. Candou acquired 20,000 shares of United States Lime & Minerals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $110.00 per share, for a total transaction of $2,200,000.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 17,673,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,944,115,800. This represents a 0.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Antoine M. Doumet sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $2,200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 90,000 shares in the company, valued at $9,900,000. The trade was a 18.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of United States Lime & Minerals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Freedom Broker dropped their price target on shares of United States Lime & Minerals from $132.00 to $131.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $131.00.

About United States Lime & Minerals

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. produces and sells lime and limestone products. Its offerings include quicklime, hydrated lime, and crushed limestone, which are used in industrial processes and construction. The company’s products support a range of applications, including water and wastewater treatment, environmental control, metals processing, and construction. Its operations and customer base are centered in Texas and the surrounding south-central United States. In addition to its lime and limestone operations, United States Lime & Minerals holds interests in natural gas properties.