Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Makes New Investment in Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI)

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 5,900 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,378,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Valmont Industries by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 12,189 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,863,000 after acquiring an additional 1,911 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 97.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 15,703 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 7,749 shares in the last quarter. Hamel Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Hamel Associates Inc. now owns 22,607 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,430,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 19.5% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 454 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC boosted its position in shares of Valmont Industries by 27.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 421 shares in the last quarter. 87.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valmont Industries Price Performance

Valmont Industries stock opened at $213.20 on Monday. Valmont Industries, Inc. has a 52 week low of $188.63 and a 52 week high of $315.88. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $219.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $221.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market cap of $4.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.63 and a beta of 1.03.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.10. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 3.44% and a return on equity of 20.69%. The firm had revenue of $1,000.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.46 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Valmont Industries, Inc. will post 14.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Valmont Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th were given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.13%. Valmont Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VMI shares. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Valmont Industries in a research report on Monday, March 25th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of Valmont Industries from $290.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Valmont Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valmont Industries has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.00.

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.