Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 68,023 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 258 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned about 0.05% of Vulcan Materials worth $17,498,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $811,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 149.4% during the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 5,627 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $15,719,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 284.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $11,104,000 after purchasing an additional 33,051 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.00.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $252.68 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company’s 50-day moving average is $266.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $261.44. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $225.36 and a 12-month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (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 prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. Research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.8 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

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.