Wall Street Zen Upgrades Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) to “Buy”

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Valmont Industries in a report on Friday, September 26th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $480.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valmont Industries in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Valmont Industries from $345.00 to $382.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $420.67.

Valmont Industries Stock Performance

NYSE:VMI opened at $394.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.15. The company has a fifty day moving average of $373.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $333.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.79 billion, a PE ratio of 36.73 and a beta of 1.15. Valmont Industries has a fifty-two week low of $250.07 and a fifty-two week high of $397.30.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $4.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.78 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 5.98% and a return on equity of 22.10%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.91 earnings per share. Valmont Industries has set its FY 2025 guidance at 17.500-19.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Valmont Industries will post 18.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,867 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.52, for a total value of $1,027,876.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,746 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,494,135.92. This represents a 22.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valmont Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Valmont Industries in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Valmont Industries by 87.7% in the first quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 107 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Valmont Industries by 93.9% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Valmont Industries by 223.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 152 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Valmont Industries in the second quarter valued at about $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.84% of the company’s stock.

About Valmont Industries

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.