Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Gap Down Following Weak Earnings

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) shares gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $327.65, but opened at $295.95. Vulcan Materials shares last traded at $303.40, with a volume of 519,581 shares changing hands.

The construction company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.41). The company had revenue of $1.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.17 EPS.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.28%.

More Vulcan Materials News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vulcan Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year strength and cash flow: Vulcan said full‑year 2025 delivered earnings growth, margin expansion and operating cash flow rose ~29% to $1.8B, and management expects aggregates demand growth and a favorable pricing environment to support 2026 earnings — a fundamental cash‑flow positive datapoint that supports valuation. VULCAN REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raise: Vulcan announced a quarterly dividend of $0.52 (up from $0.49), marking a ~6.1% increase and signaling confidence in cash flow and capital allocation — supportive for income‑oriented investors. (Ex‑dividend March 9).
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context: Analysts note housing weakness but resilient public/infrastructure spending — this mixed backdrop means Vulcan’s aggregates demand outlook depends on public works and price execution more than housing alone. What’s in Store For These 5 Construction Stocks This Earnings Season?
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 earnings miss: Vulcan reported EPS of $1.70 vs. consensus ~ $2.11–$2.13 (multiple outlets) and revenue of $1.91B vs. est. ~$1.95B — EPS declined from $2.17 a year ago. The earnings shortfall is the primary catalyst for the stock decline as it raises near‑term execution and pricing concerns. Vulcan Materials earnings missed by $0.43, revenue fell short of estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing power worries: Ahead of results, analysts flagged mounting concerns about Vulcan’s ability to push prices amid mixed end‑market demand; the miss reinforces that risk and could pressure near‑term margins if pricing lags. Vulcan Materials faces earnings test as pricing power concerns mount
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and market reaction: Multiple headlines (Zacks, MSN, MarketBeat coverage) highlight the miss and revenue shortfall; the immediate market response is negative as investors re‑price growth/earnings visibility for 2026. Vulcan Materials (VMC) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $342.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Vulcan Materials from $279.00 to $278.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $320.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total transaction of $196,175.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 8,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,443,780. This represents a 7.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.81, for a total value of $2,146,279.35. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 9,800 shares of company stock valued at $2,919,554 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,207,183 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,293,274,000 after acquiring an additional 311,539 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,924,285 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,437,669,000 after purchasing an additional 99,298 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,625,271 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,345,703,000 after purchasing an additional 414,828 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,558,791 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,449,844,000 after buying an additional 95,256 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,576,172 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,016,168,000 after buying an additional 32,012 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $301.92 and a 200 day moving average of $296.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.07.

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.