Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

VMC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $267.00 to $257.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $274.75.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE VMC opened at $268.86 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.51 billion, a PE ratio of 42.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $206.11 and a one year high of $279.47. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $248.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $252.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 2.86.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.34 by ($0.12). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 7.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 4th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 29.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.2% in the third quarter. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,643 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $412,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 44.9% during the third quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,325 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,083,000 after buying an additional 1,340 shares in the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 33.0% during the third quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 2,577 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $645,000 after buying an additional 639 shares during the period. Finally, Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 100.2% in the 3rd quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,834 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $960,000 after acquiring an additional 1,919 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

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.