Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Purchases 1,316 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 24.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,605 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,699,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $134,694,000 after acquiring an additional 521,802 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $74,760,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 125.0% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $86,425,000 after acquiring an additional 186,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 736,146 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $184,353,000 after purchasing an additional 178,634 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on VMC shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $235.29 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The firm has a market cap of $31.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $215.08 and a one year high of $298.31. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $257.85 and its 200-day moving average is $260.69.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio 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.