State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. Trims Stock Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. decreased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 9,647,060 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 19,625 shares during the quarter. Vulcan Materials makes up approximately 2.3% of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. owned about 0.07% of Vulcan Materials worth $2,481,513,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew 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 worth $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 4.3% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,046,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on VMC shares. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Citigroup cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.0 %

VMC opened at $232.90 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The business has a 50-day moving average of $253.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.41.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. 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 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Vulcan Materials Company 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.