UniSuper Management Pty Ltd Buys 1,716 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,801 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,716 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $3,036,000 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 the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake 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 last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 22.8% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $463,000. Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 53.9% during the 3rd quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 6,727 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,685,000 after purchasing an additional 2,357 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 32.0% during the third 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 purchasing an additional 178,634 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $232.90 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $253.92 and its 200 day moving average is $260.61. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $30.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a PEG 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 data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for 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 period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $302.67.

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.