Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two equities 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. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $308.3636.

Several research firms recently issued reports on VMC. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $286.00 to $279.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 1st. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $321.00 price objective (up from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 1st.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC stock opened at $307.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $40.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.86. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $308.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $289.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $267.49.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65 by ($0.20). The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.23 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.81% and a net margin of 12.52%.Vulcan Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.35 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 14th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 698 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.56, for a total transaction of $208,394.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $845,521.92. This represents a 19.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 12.4% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 23,362 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,094,000 after purchasing an additional 2,576 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $204,000. V. M. Manning & CO. Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,972,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 19,156 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,945,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 16,798 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,381,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.