Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Edge Capital Group LLC

Edge Capital Group LLC cut its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 99.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 687 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 179,302 shares during the period. Edge Capital Group LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VMC. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $811,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 149.4% during the fourth quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,416,000 after buying an additional 5,627 shares during the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $15,719,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 284.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $11,104,000 after acquiring an additional 33,051 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup lowered their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $304.55.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 0.6 %

VMC stock opened at $251.45 on Tuesday. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $225.36 and a 52 week high of $298.31. 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 has a market cap of $33.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $265.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $261.69.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

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.