Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by J. W. Coons Advisors LLC

J. W. Coons Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 10.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,911 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 339 shares during the quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $749,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock opened at $252.68 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $225.36 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The company has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.89, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $266.20 and a 200-day moving average of $261.66.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 26.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $305.00.

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.