Weiss Ratings Reiterates "Buy (B-)" Rating for United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reaffirmed a "Buy (B-)" rating for United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM), despite another firm, Wall Street Zen, downgrading the stock to a "hold" rating.
• United States Lime & Minerals reported quarterly earnings of $1.07 EPS, falling short of analysts' expectations of $1.14, with a revenue of $91.52 million against estimates of $101.00 million.
• CEO Timothy W. Byrne recently sold 27,425 shares of the company, decreasing his ownership stake by 21.77%, while institutional investors now own 27.12% of the company's stock.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy (b-)" rating restated by analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered United States Lime & Minerals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, United States Lime & Minerals currently has an average rating of "Buy".

United States Lime & Minerals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ USLM traded up $0.08 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $124.04. 50,719 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 104,251. The company has a market cap of $3.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.45 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $121.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $106.64. United States Lime & Minerals has a 1 year low of $80.47 and a 1 year high of $159.53.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The construction company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by ($0.07). United States Lime & Minerals had a net margin of 35.57% and a return on equity of 24.24%. The company had revenue of $91.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $101.00 million.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 27,425 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.05, for a total value of $3,319,796.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 98,532 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,927,298.60. This trade represents a 21.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.46% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 281.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 192,869 shares of the construction company's stock worth $19,248,000 after purchasing an additional 142,308 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 202.9% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 193,388 shares of the construction company's stock worth $17,092,000 after purchasing an additional 129,534 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 13.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 808,373 shares of the construction company's stock worth $71,444,000 after acquiring an additional 94,149 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 33.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 293,483 shares of the construction company's stock worth $25,938,000 after acquiring an additional 73,891 shares during the period. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 24.5% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 357,690 shares of the construction company's stock worth $35,697,000 after purchasing an additional 70,457 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 27.12% of the company's stock.

About United States Lime & Minerals

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of lime and limestone products. Its products include High Calcium Quicklime, Hydrated Lime, Lime Kiln Dust, Lime Slurry, and High Calcium Limestone. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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.