Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $650.3125.

MLM has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $620.00 to $610.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $725.00 to $730.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on Martin Marietta Materials from $600.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Martin Marietta Materials from $610.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st.

Martin Marietta Materials Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of MLM stock opened at $619.17 on Thursday. Martin Marietta Materials has a 1-year low of $441.95 and a 1-year high of $665.18. The company has a market cap of $37.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.64 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 2.97 and a quick ratio of 2.07. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $618.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $597.96.

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The construction company reported $5.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.62 by ($0.65). The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.06 billion. Martin Marietta Materials had a return on equity of 11.68% and a net margin of 17.34%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Martin Marietta Materials will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Martin Marietta Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 1st. Martin Marietta Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 17.50%.

Institutional Trading of Martin Marietta Materials

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MLM. Schear Investment Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Martin Marietta Materials by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,731 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,721,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 10.4% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 181 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 3.9% in the third quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 448 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its position in Martin Marietta Materials by 2.9% during the third quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 646 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $407,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its stake in Martin Marietta Materials by 2.5% during the third quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 731 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $461,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.04% of the company’s stock.

About Martin Marietta Materials

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc, a natural resource-based building materials company, supplies aggregates and heavy-side building materials to the construction industry in the United States and internationally. It offers crushed stone, sand, and gravel products; ready mixed concrete and asphalt; paving products and services; and Portland and specialty cement for use in the infrastructure projects, and nonresidential and residential construction markets, as well as in the railroad, agricultural, utility, and environmental industries.