Moors & Cabot Inc. Sells 222 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Moors & Cabot Inc. cut its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 19.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 943 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 222 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th 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. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 3.0 %

VMC opened at $231.70 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $258.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.74. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $30.61 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 released its quarterly earnings data 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 business 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 firm earned $1.46 EPS. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $303.08.

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.