Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by New York State Teachers Retirement System

New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 4.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 102,608 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 4,363 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.08% of Vulcan Materials worth $26,394,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.6% during the third quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 1,139 shares of the construction company's stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth $213,000. Creative Planning boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 14,238 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,566,000 after buying an additional 318 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.0% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 15,976 shares of the construction company's stock worth $4,001,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 40.5% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,245 shares of the construction company's stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 359 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.9 %

Vulcan Materials stock traded down $7.92 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $264.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 987,779 shares, compared to its average volume of 735,902. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $225.36 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 2.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market cap of $34.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $267.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $261.43.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 11.43%. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.74%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is 29.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $349.00 price objective on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $303.82.

Vulcan Materials 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.