Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $303.08.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VMC. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $221.47 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $261.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.43. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $218.71 and a 52-week high of $298.31. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $29.26 billion, a PE ratio of 32.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

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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, 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $461,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth 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. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

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.

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