Earnest Partners LLC Raises Holdings in Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI)

Earnest Partners LLC raised its position in Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI - Free Report) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 397,523 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 16,302 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC owned approximately 1.98% of Valmont Industries worth $121,908,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Valmont Industries by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,950 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,211,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Valmont Industries by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,538 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $472,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in Valmont Industries by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 249 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Valmont Industries by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 5,853 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,795,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Diametric Capital LP increased its holdings in shares of Valmont Industries by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Diametric Capital LP now owns 1,781 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $546,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. 87.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valmont Industries Price Performance

VMI stock traded up $10.68 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $309.39. 90,605 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 147,288. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.07. The stock has a market cap of $6.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.03 and a beta of 1.07. Valmont Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $225.00 and a fifty-two week high of $379.22. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $301.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $318.97.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $4.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.08. Valmont Industries had a return on equity of 23.15% and a net margin of 8.55%. The firm had revenue of $969.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $976.04 million. Research analysts predict that Valmont Industries, Inc. will post 18.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Valmont Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 27th will be given a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 27th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. Valmont Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson cut shares of Valmont Industries from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $380.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. William Blair upgraded Valmont Industries from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Valmont Industries from $343.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com cut Valmont Industries from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 29th.

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.