Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Director Melissa Anderson Sells 1,137 Shares

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Director Melissa Anderson sold 1,137 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total value of $345,329.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $310.60 on Tuesday. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $331.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $302.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $296.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.25, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.07.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.41). The business had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.95 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.14%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $316.00 to $296.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup upped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $342.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $327.00 price objective on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.64.

About Vulcan Materials

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.