GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 351 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 98.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 708 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 351 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $176,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of VMC. Appleton Partners Inc. MA increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA now owns 32,538 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $8,092,000 after buying an additional 781 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 8.7% in the first quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 21,224 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,761,000 after acquiring an additional 1,692 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 118.1% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 4,146 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 2,245 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 111.5% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,423 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,936,000 after purchasing an additional 7,603 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $519,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VMC. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $272.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Loop Capital lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Vulcan Materials from $322.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.08.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of VMC stock traded down $7.58 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $249.85. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,255,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 784,792. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $190.51 and a 52 week high of $278.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 2.74. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $255.73. The company has a market cap of $33.04 billion, a PE ratio of 35.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.82.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.86%.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 8,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.95, for a total transaction of $2,347,370.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 1,300 shares in the company, valued at $354,835. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 8,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.95, for a total value of $2,347,370.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 1,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $354,835. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.50, for a total value of $249,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,660 shares in the company, valued at approximately $414,170. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 17,210 shares of company stock worth $4,653,520 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

Vulcan Materials Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and supplies construction aggregates primarily in the United States. It operates through four segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The company provides crushed stones, sand and gravel, sand, and other aggregates; and related products and services that are applied in construction and maintenance of highways, streets, and other public works, as well as in the construction of housing and commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential facilities.