Gradient Investments LLC Has $27.53 Million Holdings in Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. $MLM

Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,209 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,903 shares during the quarter. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in Martin Marietta Materials were worth $27,527,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MLM. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Martin Marietta Materials by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,056 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,331,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its stake in Martin Marietta Materials by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 29,685 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $19,058,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Martin Marietta Materials by 23.7% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 146 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $658,000. Finally, Gilbert & Cook Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 2,135 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,329,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.04% of the company’s stock.

Martin Marietta Materials Stock Performance

MLM stock opened at $561.90 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $647.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $631.29. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $441.95 and a 12 month high of $710.97. The company has a market capitalization of $33.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 3.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53.

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $4.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.66 billion. Martin Marietta Materials had a net margin of 17.38% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.79 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Martin Marietta Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Martin Marietta Materials’s payout ratio is currently 17.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson set a $680.00 price target on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $706.00 to $702.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $631.00 to $612.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $630.00 target price on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Martin Marietta Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Martin Marietta Materials presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $696.88.

About Martin Marietta Materials

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc (NYSE: MLM) is a leading producer of aggregates and heavy building materials serving the construction and infrastructure markets. The company operates quarries, sand and gravel pits, and other extraction sites to supply crushed stone, sand and gravel, and a range of value‑added products for use in roads, bridges, commercial and residential construction, and other civil engineering projects.

In addition to its core aggregates business, Martin Marietta manufactures and sells asphalt, ready‑mixed concrete and related materials and services.