Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Key Points

• Valmont Industries has been upgraded from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, indicating increased optimism among analysts regarding its stock performance.
• Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target for Valmont Industries from $345 to $382, while DA Davidson increased it from $380 to $400, both suggesting strong potential for the stock.
• Valmont Industries reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $4.88 for the last quarter, exceeding estimates and showing a 1% year-over-year revenue increase, with FY 2025 EPS guidance set between $17.500 and $19.500.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Valmont Industries from $345.00 to $382.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $391.00.

Valmont Industries Price Performance

VMI stock traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $366.42. The stock had a trading volume of 234,689 shares, compared to its average volume of 167,168. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $355.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $326.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.02 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Valmont Industries has a 52 week low of $250.07 and a 52 week high of $384.08.

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

Valmont Industries Announces Dividend

The company 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 payout ratio is presently 25.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,867 shares of Valmont Industries 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 directly owned 9,746 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,494,135.92. This trade represents a 22.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valmont Industries

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valmont Industries during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Valmont Industries by 87.7% during the first 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. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Valmont Industries by 93.9% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 128 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valmont Industries by 223.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 152 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valmont Industries during the second quarter valued at about $46,000. 87.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valmont Industries Company Profile

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.