CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co Buys 13,832 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 13.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 118,427 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,832 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co owned 0.09% of Vulcan Materials worth $30,468,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VMC shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Wolfe Research raised Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. 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 objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $293.64.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $5.04 on Thursday, hitting $249.58. The company had a trading volume of 748,338 shares, compared to its average volume of 925,197. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $239.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $259.29. 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 stock has a market cap of $33.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The firm 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 firm earned $1.46 EPS. Analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.79%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Vulcan Materials 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.