Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Position Boosted by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 39.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,909 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,068 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $4,607,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $240.16 on Thursday. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $251.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $260.64. The company has a market cap of $31.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.06, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm 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 boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.58.

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.