Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 90,157 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,352,507 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 90,157 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 12.38% of Vulcan Materials worth $4,206,355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake 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 worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its holdings 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 valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James cut their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Morgan Stanley increased 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 report on Monday, February 24th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $241.31 on Tuesday. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $256.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $260.66. The firm has a market cap of $31.88 billion, a PE ratio of 35.23, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 28.61%.

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.