Geode Capital Management LLC Grows Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,348,418 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 36,833 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $859,171,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $380,369,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $134,694,000 after acquiring an additional 521,802 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $74,760,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 125.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $86,425,000 after acquiring an additional 186,641 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Raymond James decreased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of VMC 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 has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The company has a 50-day moving average of $251.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.64. The firm has a market cap of $31.77 billion, a PE ratio of 35.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

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. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. 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.