Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Purchased by iA Global Asset Management Inc.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 42.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,450 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 10,870 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $9,376,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted 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 note on Monday, February 24th. Raymond James reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $302.67.

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Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Vulcan Materials stock traded up $7.23 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $241.31. The stock had a trading volume of 834,614 shares, compared to its average volume of 822,856. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.23, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock's fifty day moving average is $256.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. 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. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.