AQR Capital Management LLC Grows Position in Valmont Industries, Inc. $VMI

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Valmont Industries, Inc. by 108.8% during the first quarter, owning 36,029 shares valued at $10,185,000 as of the end of the quarter.
• Valmont Industries reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $4.88, exceeding analysts' expectations of $4.78, with a revenue increase of 1.0% year-over-year to $1.05 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, set to be paid on October 15th, representing an annualized yield of 0.7%.

AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI - Free Report) by 108.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,029 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,771 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.18% of Valmont Industries worth $10,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 87.7% during the 1st quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 107 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Valmont Industries by 82.3% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 226 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries in the first quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.84% of the company's stock.

Valmont Industries Stock Down 0.9%

VMI stock traded down $3.27 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $374.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 162,450 shares, compared to its average volume of 212,976. Valmont Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $250.07 and a twelve month high of $388.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.88 and a beta of 1.14. The company's fifty day moving average price is $363.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $328.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.44.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $4.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.78 by $0.10. Valmont Industries had a return on equity of 22.10% and a net margin of 5.98%.The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.91 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. Valmont Industries has set its FY 2025 guidance at 17.500-19.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valmont Industries, Inc. will post 18.07 EPS for the current year.

Valmont Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 26th will be issued a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 26th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Valmont Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on VMI shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Valmont Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 7th. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Valmont Industries from $345.00 to $382.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valmont Industries currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $391.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valmont Industries

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

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.