Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Price

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $295.00 to $300.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the construction company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 19.11% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on VMC. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price 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. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. UBS Group initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Raymond James lowered 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 report on Thursday, January 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $304.55.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $251.87 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $266.20 and its 200 day moving average is $261.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $225.36 and a one year high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $33.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vulcan Materials

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.