United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 208,800 shares, an increase of 44.4% from the November 15th total of 144,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 85,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of United States Lime & Minerals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

United States Lime & Minerals Price Performance

United States Lime & Minerals stock traded down $3.19 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $145.94. The company had a trading volume of 75,588 shares, compared to its average volume of 100,695. United States Lime & Minerals has a 12-month low of $42.87 and a 12-month high of $159.53. The company has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.30 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $128.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.28.

United States Lime & Minerals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.14%. United States Lime & Minerals’s payout ratio is currently 5.80%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total value of $244,527.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares in the company, valued at $1,101,072.40. The trade was a 18.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total value of $3,155,051.53. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 125,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,716,816.92. The trade was a 15.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of USLM. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 432.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,036 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $612,000 after buying an additional 4,902 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC acquired a new stake in United States Lime & Minerals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $640,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 422.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 308,049 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $30,089,000 after purchasing an additional 249,115 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 1,182.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 21,512 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,101,000 after purchasing an additional 19,835 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 356.8% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 19,802 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,934,000 after purchasing an additional 15,467 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.12% of the company’s stock.

United States Lime & Minerals Company Profile

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc manufactures and supplies lime and limestone products in the United States. It extracts limestone from open-pit quarries and an underground mine, and processes it as pulverized limestone, quicklime, hydrated lime, and lime slurry. The company supplies its products primarily to the construction customers, including highway, road, and building contractors; industrial customers, such as paper and glass manufacturers; environmental customers comprising municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities, and flue gas treatment processes; oil and gas services companies; roof shingle manufacturers; and poultry producers.