Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P lessened its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 20,045 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 63 shares during the period. Vulcan Materials comprises 1.2% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $5,156,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in VMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased 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 worth $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 22.8% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 12,698 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,180,000 after acquiring an additional 2,354 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $463,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 173,625 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $43,448,000 after purchasing an additional 836 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 2.2% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,660,931 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $916,807,000 after purchasing an additional 78,271 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on VMC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $238.05 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 stock has a market capitalization of $31.45 billion, a PE ratio of 34.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $254.67 and a 200-day moving average of $260.41. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. 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 0.82%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.