Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 4.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,000 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $6,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $301,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $568,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VMC. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $225.39 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $258.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.55. The company has a market capitalization of $29.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

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.