Clearbridge Investments LLC Trims Stock Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Clearbridge Investments LLC reduced its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 10.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,491,835 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 297,463 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $640,975,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew 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 purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup decreased their target price 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. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.0 %

NYSE:VMC opened at $232.90 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $253.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.61. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

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.