Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Purchases 4,664 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 7.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,610 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,664 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned approximately 0.05% of Vulcan Materials worth $17,906,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in 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. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 12,698 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,180,000 after purchasing an additional 2,354 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $463,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 173,625 shares of the construction company's stock worth $43,448,000 after purchasing an additional 836 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,660,931 shares of the construction company's stock worth $916,807,000 after purchasing an additional 78,271 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock traded up $1.35 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $234.65. 139,600 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 870,613. The firm's fifty day moving average is $253.19 and its 200-day moving average is $260.78. The stock has a market cap of $31.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.25, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VMC. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $302.67.

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.