Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Buys 1,558 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 6.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 25,331 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,558 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $5,750,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 10.4% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,180 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,319,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 4,685 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $861,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 32.2% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,451 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $450,000 after purchasing an additional 597 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 19,808 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,639,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential PLC bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter worth $470,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 1.2 %

VMC opened at $252.06 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $33.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.83. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $166.43 and a 12 month high of $276.58. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $263.37 and a 200 day moving average of $233.38.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.80% and a net margin of 11.99%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.43 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $264.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total value of $862,336.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at $1,453,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total value of $862,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 5,395 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,453,844.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 transaction of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Profile

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.