Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI) Short Interest Update

Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 442,300 shares, an increase of 46.7% from the February 13th total of 301,500 shares. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 130,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Valmont Industries from $387.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valmont Industries from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, DA Davidson cut shares of Valmont Industries from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th.

Valmont Industries Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of VMI stock traded down $0.41 during trading on Monday, reaching $327.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 115,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,987. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The company has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.05 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $330.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $318.07. Valmont Industries has a 1-year low of $202.01 and a 1-year high of $379.22.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $3.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.63 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 23.15%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valmont Industries will post 18.07 EPS for the current year.

Valmont Industries Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This is an increase from Valmont Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. Valmont Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valmont Industries

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VMI. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 175.7% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Valmont Industries by 395.1% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 203 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valmont Industries by 35.9% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. 87.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Valmont Industries

Valmont Industries, Inc operates as manufacturer of products and services for infrastructure and agriculture markets in the United States, Australia, Brazil, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Infrastructure and Agriculture. The company manufactures and distributes steel, pre-stressed concrete, composite structures for electrical transmission, substation, and distribution applications; and designs, engineers, and manufactures metal, steel, wood, aluminum, and composite poles and structures for lighting and transportation applications.