Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 14.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,068 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 5,101 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $10,307,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted 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 period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during 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, Huntington National Bank increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $568,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $225.22 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $260.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.88, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

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Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 previous year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. 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. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup reduced their target price on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $303.08.

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.

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