Wedmont Private Capital Increases Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Wedmont Private Capital increased its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 5.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,530 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the quarter. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $371,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Seneca House Advisors grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.7% in the first quarter. Seneca House Advisors now owns 27,962 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,524,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 8.7% in the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 21,806 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,087,000 after purchasing an additional 1,746 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 10.0% in the first quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Group Inc. now owns 1,100 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Curat Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at $183,000. Finally, Park Edge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at $361,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of VMC stock opened at $265.11 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $256.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $258.81. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The firm has a market cap of $35.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VMC. UBS Group upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on Vulcan Materials and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.91.

Vulcan Materials Company 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.