Heritage Trust Co Takes Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Heritage Trust Co acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 3,938 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,013,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $811,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 149.4% in the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,416,000 after acquiring an additional 5,627 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $15,719,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 284.9% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company's stock worth $11,104,000 after purchasing an additional 33,051 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $295.75.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $2.09 during trading on Thursday, hitting $242.64. The company's stock had a trading volume of 359,386 shares, compared to its average volume of 921,226. The company has a 50-day moving average of $242.55 and a 200-day moving average of $259.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The firm has a market cap of $32.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.42, a P/E/G 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.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued 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. 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 during 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $0.49 dividend. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 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.