Swiss National Bank Lowers Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Swiss National Bank decreased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 5.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 373,100 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 19,500 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.28% of Vulcan Materials worth $95,973,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the 4th 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. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $301,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company's stock worth $568,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of VMC stock traded up $4.88 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $241.38. The stock had a trading volume of 1,138,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 819,666. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.89 billion, a PE ratio of 35.24, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock's 50 day moving average is $257.53 and its 200 day moving average is $260.63. 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 has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James reduced their target price 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. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.