Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Has $493,000 Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 50.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,918 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,916 shares during the quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after purchasing an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $134,694,000 after buying an additional 521,802 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,760,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 32.0% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 736,146 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $184,353,000 after buying an additional 178,634 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 67.9% during the 4th quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 402,106 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $103,434,000 after buying an additional 162,567 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $221.47 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $261.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $261.33. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $218.71 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $29.26 billion, a PE ratio of 32.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Raymond James cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.