Natixis Advisors LLC Decreases Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Natixis Advisors LLC cut its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 178,580 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 3,159 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Vulcan Materials worth $45,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its holdings 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 lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $568,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Remove Ads

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on VMC shares. 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 report on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded down $2.45 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $238.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,203,615 shares, compared to its average volume of 819,390. The firm has a market cap of $31.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $257.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $260.50.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Research 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 will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

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.