Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Lowers Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise decreased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 65.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 911 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,713 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $228,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 23.4% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,535 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $384,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 7.1% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 1,039 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 32.1% during the third quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,613 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $905,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 25.6% during the third quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $511,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 2.8% during the third quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,185 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,048,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $284.61 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $261.25 and a 200 day moving average of $254.72. The company has a market cap of $37.59 billion, a PE ratio of 44.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $209.60 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.34 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 11.43%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.29 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.2 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 29.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $297.00 to $292.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Barclays boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $267.00 to $257.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price target for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.46.

Vulcan Materials 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.