Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stake Lowered by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS reduced its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 28,080 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 668 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $7,223,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 1.7 %

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $234.55 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $30.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $256.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.27.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The company 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 firm posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on VMC. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy 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 $302.67.

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.