Principal Financial Group Inc. Acquires 4,927 Shares of United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM)

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) by 537.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 5,844 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,927 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in United States Lime & Minerals were worth $571,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of USLM. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System bought a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals during the first quarter worth $607,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 2.3% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,041 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $34,000,000 after purchasing an additional 2,526 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals during the first quarter worth $473,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals by 958.4% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 10,489 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,127,000 after purchasing an additional 9,498 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of United States Lime & Minerals during the second quarter worth $342,000. 27.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United States Lime & Minerals Price Performance

Shares of USLM opened at $149.73 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $110.66 and a 200-day moving average of $87.26. United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. has a one year low of $41.91 and a one year high of $151.47. The company has a market cap of $4.28 billion, a PE ratio of 43.40 and a beta of 0.82.

United States Lime & Minerals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be issued a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. United States Lime & Minerals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.80%.

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.

Insider Buying and Selling at United States Lime & Minerals

In other news, VP Nathan O’neill sold 1,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.73, for a total transaction of $244,527.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 7,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,101,072.40. This trade represents a 18.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Timothy W. Byrne sold 22,261 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 125,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,716,816.92. The trade was a 15.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

About United States Lime & Minerals

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.