Advisors Asset Management Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Advisors Asset Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,882 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,610 shares during the quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $8,715,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,046,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC opened at $236.36 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business’s 50 day moving average is $257.53 and its 200-day moving average is $260.63. The stock has a market cap of $31.23 billion, a PE ratio of 34.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

About Vulcan Materials

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.