Squarepoint Ops LLC Invests $2.22 Million in Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI)

Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 8,105 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $2,224,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Valmont Industries by 2,060.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 108 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Valmont Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries in the first quarter worth $66,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Valmont Industries by 58.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 248 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in Valmont Industries in the 1st quarter worth $122,000. 87.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valmont Industries Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE VMI traded up $3.05 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $290.54. The stock had a trading volume of 85,824 shares, compared to its average volume of 158,665. The firm has a market cap of $5.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.37 and a beta of 1.02. Valmont Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $188.63 and a fifty-two week high of $307.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 2.53 and a quick ratio of 1.63. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $282.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $259.97.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The industrial products company reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.04 by $0.72. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. Valmont Industries had a return on equity of 23.30% and a net margin of 4.09%. Research analysts anticipate that Valmont Industries, Inc. will post 16.76 EPS for the current year.

Valmont Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. Valmont Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on VMI shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Valmont Industries from $285.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Valmont Industries from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valmont Industries from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $332.50.

Insider Activity at Valmont Industries

In other Valmont Industries news, CFO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,300 shares of Valmont Industries stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.49, for a total value of $686,527.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 9,471 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,826,998.79. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.49, for a total transaction of $686,527.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 9,471 shares in the company, valued at $2,826,998.79. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Theodor Werner Freye sold 1,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.12, for a total transaction of $480,192.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,685 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,105,942.20. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valmont Industries 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.