Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Position Raised by Axa S.A.

Axa S.A. boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 248.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,881 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,617 shares during the period. Axa S.A.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,027,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 29.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 472,194 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $118,251,000 after purchasing an additional 106,187 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 284.9% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $11,104,000 after purchasing an additional 33,051 shares during the period. Legacy Private Trust Co. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 1,618 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,715 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,470,000 after buying an additional 622 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on VMC. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.73.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $268.26 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $240.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $260.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.44 billion, a PE ratio of 39.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.80%.

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.