Valmont Industries, Inc. (VMI) – What Are Investment Firms Saying About This Stock?

Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE:VMI) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $587.00.

A number of research analysts have commented on VMI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Valmont Industries from $600.00 to $620.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Valmont Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings raised Valmont Industries from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded Valmont Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Valmont Industries from $645.00 to $678.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th.

Valmont Industries Stock Performance

NYSE:VMI opened at $467.30 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.20, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $479.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $493.40. Valmont Industries has a fifty-two week low of $378.02 and a fifty-two week high of $585.71.

Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The industrial products company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.80 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.09 billion. Valmont Industries had a net margin of 11.70% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.88 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Valmont Industries will post 23.08 EPS for the current year.

Valmont Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 25th will be given a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 25th. Valmont Industries’s payout ratio is currently 11.99%.

Insider Activity

In other Valmont Industries news, CFO John Schwietz purchased 208 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $486.14 per share, for a total transaction of $101,117.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,454,530.88. This trade represents a 7.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Theodor Freye sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $495.00, for a total transaction of $396,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,805 shares in the company, valued at $1,388,475. This represents a 22.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valmont Industries

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Valmont Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $175,408,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Valmont Industries in the second quarter worth $22,958,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Valmont Industries in the second quarter worth $1,687,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries during the second quarter worth $4,101,000. Finally, De Lisle Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Valmont Industries during the second quarter worth $13,180,000. 87.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valmont Industries Company Profile

Valmont Industries, Inc is a global manufacturer of engineered products and services that support infrastructure, agriculture and industrial applications. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company serves customers in North America and international markets.

Its infrastructure businesses produce utility poles and structures, towers, steel and aluminum structures, lighting and traffic-support systems, and other products used in electrical transmission and distribution, telecommunications, transportation and commercial development.