Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) Trading 4.9% Higher - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Valmont Industries (NYSE: VMI) shares rose by 4.9%, closing at $381.82, although trading volume was significantly lower than average.
• Analysts have varying outlooks on the stock; while JPMorgan set a $480.00 price target and "overweight" rating, Wall Street Zen downgraded it to "hold".
• Valmont Industries announced a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, with an upcoming payment date on October 15th, reflecting a 0.7% dividend yield.

Shares of Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI - Get Free Report) traded up 4.9% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $382.31 and last traded at $381.82. 37,006 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 168,649 shares. The stock had previously closed at $363.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on VMI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Valmont Industries in a research note on Friday. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $480.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Valmont Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Valmont Industries from $345.00 to $382.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $420.67.

Valmont Industries Stock Up 4.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.50 and a beta of 1.14. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $369.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $330.81.

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

Valmont Industries Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Valmont Industries

In related news, CAO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,867 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.52, for a total transaction of $1,027,876.84. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Valmont Industries in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 223.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 152 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Valmont Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 87.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.