Machina Capital S.A.S. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 170.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,403 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,143 shares during the period. Machina Capital S.A.S.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $875,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $568,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $5,046,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.
A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James cut their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $303.08.
View Our Latest Analysis on VMC
Vulcan Materials stock opened at $221.47 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $218.71 and a 52-week high of $298.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $261.37 and a 200-day moving average of $261.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.33, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.
Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%.
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.
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