Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Upgraded at DA Davidson

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) was upgraded by equities researchers at DA Davidson to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $355.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Berenberg Bank set a $283.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $296.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vulcan Materials from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $333.00 target price on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $328.64.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of VMC stock opened at $274.05 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $35.51 billion, a PE ratio of 32.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $288.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $286.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $252.35 and a 52-week high of $331.09.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.14 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 13.05% and a net margin of 13.75%.The company’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.42 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 9.29 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vulcan Materials

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,212 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.29, for a total value of $646,545.48. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,547,599.64. This trade represents a 20.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $497,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 3.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,359 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,017,000 after buying an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 6.3% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,195 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $745,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 28.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,321 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $775,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 31.5% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 334 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

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.