Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Has $2.01 Million Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 11.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,827 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 789 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,013,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, March 24th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Loop Capital cut their target price on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $293.64.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $240.36 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $240.32 and its 200 day moving average is $259.39. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $31.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.09, 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) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

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.