Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stake Increased by Groupama Asset Managment

Groupama Asset Managment increased its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 12.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,014 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,246 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,843,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during 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 during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted 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 during the last quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during 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 purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 969 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $249,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

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Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded down $6.20 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $230.98. 2,850,857 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 891,264. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $250.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $260.50. The company has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during 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 prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James reduced their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Loop Capital lowered their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Three 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $305.58.

About Vulcan Materials

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.