Norges Bank Takes $2.50 Million Position in United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM)

Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 18,800 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $2,496,000. Norges Bank owned about 0.07% of United States Lime & Minerals at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in United States Lime & Minerals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 403.0% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 503 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 136.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 885 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $117,000 after buying an additional 510 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals in the fourth quarter worth about $146,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 114.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,188 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $158,000 after purchasing an additional 633 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded United States Lime & Minerals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd.

United States Lime & Minerals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ USLM traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $91.06. The company had a trading volume of 10,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 101,266. United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $58.14 and a 1-year high of $159.53. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $93.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.64. The company has a market capitalization of $2.61 billion, a PE ratio of 24.18 and a beta of 0.93.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. United States Lime & Minerals had a net margin of 34.27% and a return on equity of 24.55%.

United States Lime & Minerals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. This is an increase from United States Lime & Minerals's previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.26%. United States Lime & Minerals's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Sandra C. Duhe sold 3,157 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total value of $298,683.77. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,128 shares of the company's stock, valued at $201,330.08. This represents a 59.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.46% of the company's stock.

United States Lime & Minerals Company Profile

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of lime and limestone products. Its products include High Calcium Quicklime, Hydrated Lime, Lime Kiln Dust, Lime Slurry, and High Calcium Limestone. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.