Vestcor Inc Has $581,000 Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Vestcor Inc lessened its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 17.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,259 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 469 shares during the period. Vestcor Inc’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $581,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in 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 in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VMC. Raymond James cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Citigroup cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $231.70 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $258.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.74.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 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.