Stifel Nicolaus Issues Positive Forecast for Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) Stock Price

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) had its target price lifted by Stifel Nicolaus from $400.00 to $450.00 in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on VMI. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valmont Industries in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Valmont Industries in a research note on Friday, September 26th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $480.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Valmont Industries from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valmont Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $443.33.

Valmont Industries Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMI opened at $408.17 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $8.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.00 and a beta of 1.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $381.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $342.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.15. Valmont Industries has a fifty-two week low of $250.07 and a fifty-two week high of $414.53.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $4.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.78 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 5.98% and a return on equity of 22.10%. Valmont Industries’s revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.91 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Valmont Industries will post 18.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valmont Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 26th were paid a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 26th. Valmont Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Timothy P. Francis sold 2,867 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 9,746 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,494,135.92. This trade represents a 22.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 21.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 4.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 843 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 0.5% during the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 7,393 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. D.B. Root & Company LLC increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 1.6% during the second quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 2,685 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $877,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Finally, Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in Valmont Industries by 3.8% during the first quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. 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.