Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Holdings Decreased by Jump Financial LLC

Jump Financial LLC reduced its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 84.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,532 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 29,762 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,423,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VMC. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $380,369,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after acquiring an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company's stock worth $134,694,000 after acquiring an additional 521,802 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,760,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 125.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $86,425,000 after purchasing an additional 186,641 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.9 %

Vulcan Materials stock traded up $4.46 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $245.03. 765,222 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 925,263. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. 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 $32.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $240.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $259.39.

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, topping 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. UBS Group cut shares of Vulcan Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $343.00 to $258.00 in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $293.64.

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.