United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Shares Gap Down - Here's What Happened

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $110.47, but opened at $107.09. United States Lime & Minerals shares last traded at $109.28, with a volume of 16,275 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised United States Lime & Minerals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Down 4.2 %

The company has a market cap of $3.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.96 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $129.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.47.

United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter. United States Lime & Minerals had a net margin of 32.60% and a return on equity of 22.95%.

United States Lime & Minerals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This is an increase from United States Lime & Minerals's previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.22%. United States Lime & Minerals's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United States Lime & Minerals

In other United States Lime & Minerals news, VP Nathan O'neill sold 1,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total value of $244,527.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This trade represents a 18.17 % 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. Also, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total transaction of $3,155,051.53. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 125,004 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,716,816.92. The trade was a 15.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in USLM. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 202.6% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 489,909 shares of the construction company's stock worth $47,845,000 after buying an additional 327,983 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 322.3% during the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 352,200 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $34,396,000 after purchasing an additional 268,800 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 422.7% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 308,049 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $30,089,000 after purchasing an additional 249,115 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals by 421.7% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 242,826 shares of the construction company's stock worth $23,714,000 after purchasing an additional 196,277 shares during the period. Finally, Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 352.0% during the third quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 103,033 shares of the construction company's stock worth $10,062,000 after purchasing an additional 80,237 shares in the last quarter. 27.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United States Lime & Minerals Company Profile

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.