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

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of 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 trading volume of 85,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Insider Activity at United States Lime & Minerals

In related news, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total transaction of $244,527.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 7,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This represents a 18.17 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.73, for a total transaction of $3,155,051.53. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 125,004 shares in the company, valued at $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. 2.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United States Lime & Minerals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in United States Lime & Minerals by 537.3% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,844 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $571,000 after acquiring an additional 4,927 shares during the period. Minerva Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% during the third quarter. Minerva Advisors LLC now owns 6,250 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $608,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 355.4% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 12,683 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,239,000 after acquiring an additional 9,898 shares during the period. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its stake in United States Lime & Minerals by 400.0% during the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 66,850 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,529,000 after acquiring an additional 53,480 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in United States Lime & Minerals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,791,000. 27.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

United States Lime & Minerals Stock Performance

NASDAQ:USLM traded down $3.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $145.46. 33,964 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 100,518. The company has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.23 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a fifty day moving average of $126.94 and a 200 day moving average of $94.75. United States Lime & Minerals has a twelve month low of $42.87 and a twelve month high of $159.53.

United States Lime & Minerals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, November 22nd will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.80%.

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.