3,139 Shares in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Purchased by Little House Capital LLC

Little House Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 3,139 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $807,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% during the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They set a "buy" rating and a $349.00 price target on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $303.82.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC traded down $7.92 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $264.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,071,809 shares, compared to its average volume of 738,535. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $267.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $261.43. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $225.36 and a one year high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $34.98 billion, a PE ratio of 41.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.86.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.02%.

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.