Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) Short Interest Update

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,632,050 shares, a decline of 22.8% from the January 29th total of 2,114,191 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 595,283 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days. Currently, 2.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 2.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 595,283 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days.

Institutional Trading of Martin Marietta Materials

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Martin Marietta Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of Martin Marietta Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.04% of the company’s stock.

Martin Marietta Materials Stock Performance

NYSE MLM traded down $8.38 on Tuesday, reaching $656.97. 533,431 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 578,401. Martin Marietta Materials has a fifty-two week low of $441.95 and a fifty-two week high of $710.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 2.36 and a current ratio of 3.57. The firm has a market cap of $39.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $657.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $632.47.

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $4.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.81 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.66 billion. Martin Marietta Materials had a net margin of 17.38% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.79 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Martin Marietta Materials will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Martin Marietta Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Martin Marietta Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on MLM. Stephens lowered their target price on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $740.00 to $735.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Martin Marietta Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Martin Marietta Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $690.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group raised their target price on Martin Marietta Materials from $705.00 to $723.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $630.00 price target on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Martin Marietta Materials currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $697.13.

Martin Marietta Materials Company Profile

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.