Russell Investments Group Ltd. Cuts Stock Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 5.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 98,162 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 6,125 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.07% of Vulcan Materials worth $25,254,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the fourth 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 during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC traded up $2.00 on Monday, reaching $244.30. The company had a trading volume of 124,772 shares, compared to its average volume of 919,394. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $244.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $259.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.31 billion, a PE ratio of 35.66, a P/E/G 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. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $0.49 dividend. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $298.00.

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.