Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $305.58.

VMC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $237.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a market capitalization of $31.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.70, a PEG 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's fifty day moving average is $250.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.48.

Remove Ads

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current 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. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of VMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 5,766 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,444,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,952,000. Centiva Capital LP grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 34.2% during the third quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 4,025 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,008,000 after buying an additional 1,025 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 46.8% in the third quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 4,391 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,100,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.