Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Decreases Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans decreased its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,095 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,513 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $5,940,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised 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 acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company's stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on VMC shares. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $302.67.

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Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock traded up $0.99 during trading on Thursday, reaching $238.05. The company's stock had a trading volume of 949,904 shares, compared to its average volume of 825,091. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $255.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.56. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The firm has a market cap of $31.45 billion, a PE ratio of 34.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.