Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Position Cut by Trust Co of the South

Trust Co of the South lessened its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 8.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,151 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 105 shares during the quarter. Trust Co of the South’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $296,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $330,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 284.9% in 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 in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 20.1% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 21,619 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,415,000 after purchasing an additional 3,615 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 185.0% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 21,661 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,425,000 after purchasing an additional 14,061 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter worth about $671,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on VMC shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. StockNews.com upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $349.00 target price for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC traded down $1.33 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $255.90. The stock had a trading volume of 266,894 shares, compared to its average volume of 828,156. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.36, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $218.37 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $275.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $258.01.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.34 by ($0.12). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The business had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.02%.

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.