Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. $STRL Shares Bought by Fifth Third Bancorp

Key Points

• Fifth Third Bancorp massively increased its stake in Sterling Infrastructure, boosting holdings by 8,574.7% in the first quarter to 8,588 shares worth about $3.5 million.
• Sterling Infrastructure delivered a strong quarter, reporting EPS of $3.59 versus $2.29 expected and revenue of $825.67 million versus $603.58 million estimated.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $720.67, though insider selling was also noted from the CEO and general counsel.

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL - Free Report) by 8,574.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 8,588 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 8,489 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Sterling Infrastructure were worth $3,498,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Sterling Infrastructure during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Sterling Infrastructure by 33.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 107 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC grew its stake in Sterling Infrastructure by 8,000.0% in the first quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 81 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Sterling Infrastructure by 6,950.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 141 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Sterling Infrastructure by 316.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 104 shares of the construction company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. 80.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sterling Infrastructure Price Performance

STRL stock opened at $638.56 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.83. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $800.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $555.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. has a 52-week low of $230.00 and a 52-week high of $1,005.68.

Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ:STRL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $1.30. The firm had revenue of $825.67 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $603.58 million. Sterling Infrastructure had a return on equity of 35.64% and a net margin of 12.02%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.63 earnings per share. Sterling Infrastructure has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.400-19.050 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. will post 18.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Sterling Infrastructure

In related news, CEO Joseph A. Cutillo sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $497.57, for a total transaction of $24,878,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 290,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $144,590,359.01. This trade represents a 14.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Mark D. Wolf sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $888.00, for a total transaction of $2,220,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 28,137 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,985,656. The trade was a 8.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Sterling Infrastructure from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 4th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Sterling Infrastructure from $889.00 to $922.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sterling Infrastructure from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Sterling Infrastructure from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Sterling Infrastructure in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seven have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $720.67.

Sterling Infrastructure Company Profile

Sterling Infrastructure, Inc NASDAQ: STRL is a diversified manufacturer and distributor of essential infrastructure products serving municipal, utility and industrial customers across North America. Through its network of wholly owned subsidiaries, the company designs, engineers and produces a wide range of cast and fabricated solutions tailored to the needs of the waterworks, natural gas, telecommunications, electric, traffic safety and parks & recreation markets.

The company's product portfolio encompasses ductile iron and composite fittings, valve boxes, manhole frames and covers, water and gas meter sets, street light poles and mounting accessories, traffic sign posts with breakaway systems, bollards and related system components.

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