Principal Securities Inc. Has $1.29 Million Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 31.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,029 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,215 shares during the quarter. Principal Securities Inc.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,294,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% during the 3rd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on VMC. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Raymond James lowered their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $305.00.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock traded down $6.74 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $251.85. The company had a trading volume of 254,286 shares, compared to its average volume of 722,618. The company has a market capitalization of $33.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $266.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.44. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $225.36 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.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is 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.