Strs Ohio Raises Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Strs Ohio raised its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 74,103 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,412 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio owned 0.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $16,822,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 1.6% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 3,248 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $656,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% in the third quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.7% in the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,008 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $406,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 20,255 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,598,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.4% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,269 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $458,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE VMC opened at $258.57 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $262.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.26. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $166.43 and a twelve month high of $276.58. The company has a quick ratio of 2.39, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $34.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.04, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.80% and a net margin of 11.99%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.08 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research lowered Vulcan Materials from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Friday, March 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.85.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In related news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $483,991.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $483,991.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at $7,376,992.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

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.