Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Position Decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,597,343 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 40,454 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 5.00% of Vulcan Materials worth $1,697,035,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew 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 acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Citigroup lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $302.67.

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Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC traded up $2.49 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $235.79. The stock had a trading volume of 187,724 shares, compared to its average volume of 870,747. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $253.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.78. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.34, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 prior year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is currently 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.