Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) Now Covered by Analysts at B. Riley

B. Riley started coverage on shares of Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) in a research report report published on Thursday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the construction company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Martin Marietta Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $725.00 to $730.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $670.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $637.00 to $681.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $670.63.

Martin Marietta Materials Stock Performance

Shares of MLM stock opened at $652.35 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.39 and a beta of 1.15. Martin Marietta Materials has a one year low of $441.95 and a one year high of $668.83. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $626.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $612.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 2.07 and a current ratio of 2.97.

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The construction company reported $5.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.62 by ($0.65). Martin Marietta Materials had a net margin of 17.34% and a return on equity of 11.68%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.06 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Martin Marietta Materials will post 19.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Martin Marietta Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Martin Marietta Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Martin Marietta Materials

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Martin Marietta Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Martin Marietta Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.04% of the company’s stock.

About Martin Marietta Materials

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc (NYSE: MLM) is a leading producer of aggregates and heavy building materials serving the construction and infrastructure markets. The company operates quarries, sand and gravel pits, and other extraction sites to supply crushed stone, sand and gravel, and a range of value‑added products for use in roads, bridges, commercial and residential construction, and other civil engineering projects.

In addition to its core aggregates business, Martin Marietta manufactures and sells asphalt, ready‑mixed concrete and related materials and services.