Impact Capital Partners LLC Purchases New Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Impact Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 983 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $253,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 62,095 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $15,973,000 after purchasing an additional 8,994 shares in the last quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 27,785 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $7,173,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 24.9% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 6,605 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,699,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,250 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $579,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 125.0% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $86,425,000 after purchasing an additional 186,641 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $231.70 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $258.29 and a 200 day moving average of $260.42. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $30.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.82, 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.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results 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 analyst estimates 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 business posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $303.08.

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.