Principal Financial Group Inc. Boosts Stake in United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM)

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) by 537.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,844 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,927 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in United States Lime & Minerals were worth $571,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 66,850 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,529,000 after acquiring an additional 53,480 shares during the last quarter. AM Investment Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. AM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 20,000 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,953,000 after acquiring an additional 16,000 shares during the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 10,350 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 8,280 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 398.7% in the 3rd quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp now owns 31,245 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,051,000 after acquiring an additional 24,980 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 19.0% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,361 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $496,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling at United States Lime & Minerals

In other United States Lime & Minerals news, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total value of $3,155,051.53. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 125,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,716,816.92. This represents a 15.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total transaction of $244,527.50. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This trade represents a 18.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

United States Lime & Minerals Trading Down 0.4 %

United States Lime & Minerals stock opened at $149.73 on Monday. United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $41.91 and a twelve month high of $151.47. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $110.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $87.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.40 and a beta of 0.82.

United States Lime & Minerals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.13%. United States Lime & Minerals’s payout ratio is currently 5.80%.

About United States Lime & Minerals

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc manufactures and supplies lime and limestone products in the United States. It extracts limestone from open-pit quarries and an underground mine, and processes it as pulverized limestone, quicklime, hydrated lime, and lime slurry. The company supplies its products primarily to the construction customers, including highway, road, and building contractors; industrial customers, such as paper and glass manufacturers; environmental customers comprising municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities, and flue gas treatment processes; oil and gas services companies; roof shingle manufacturers; and poultry producers.