Vulcan Materials Company $VMC Position Raised by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) by 2.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 302,713 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 6,906 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $78,954,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the second quarter worth $118,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.3% in the second quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 82,004 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $21,388,000 after acquiring an additional 5,601 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 17.5% in the 2nd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 1,140 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 23.8% in the second quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,879 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $490,000 after buying an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 0.7% during the second quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 14,850 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,893,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $292.63 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $296.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $275.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.92. Vulcan Materials Company has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $311.74.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65 by ($0.20). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The company had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.35 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $321.00 price target (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $313.17.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 698 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.56, for a total transaction of $208,394.88. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 2,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $845,521.92. This trade represents a 19.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.