Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Valmont Industries from $345.00 to $382.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valmont Industries in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Valmont Industries in a report on Friday, September 26th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $480.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $420.67.

Valmont Industries Stock Up 2.0%

VMI opened at $397.92 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $378.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $337.89. Valmont Industries has a 52 week low of $250.07 and a 52 week high of $411.17. The company has a market capitalization of $7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 37.05 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $4.88 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.78 by $0.10. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 5.98% and a return on equity of 22.10%. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.91 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. Valmont Industries has set its FY 2025 guidance at 17.500-19.500 EPS. Analysts forecast that Valmont Industries will post 18.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valmont Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 26th will be given a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 26th. Valmont Industries’s dividend payout ratio is 25.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,867 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.52, for a total value of $1,027,876.84. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,746 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,494,135.92. This represents a 22.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valmont Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Valmont Industries in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 87.7% during the first quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 107 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 93.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 223.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 152 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valmont Industries during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. 87.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valmont Industries Company Profile

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.