Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by LPL Financial LLC

LPL Financial LLC lowered its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 8.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 82,586 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 7,255 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC owned 0.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $21,243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,332,431,000 after acquiring an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $134,694,000 after purchasing an additional 521,802 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $74,760,000. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted 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 worth $86,425,000 after buying an additional 186,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 736,146 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $184,353,000 after buying an additional 178,634 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $2.89 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $240.16. 708,040 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,011,892. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $252.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $260.78. The firm has a market cap of $31.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.06, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. 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.