John G Ullman & Associates Inc. Buys 204 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

John G Ullman & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,854 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the period. Vulcan Materials comprises approximately 1.0% of John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $6,650,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $811,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 149.4% during the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 5,627 shares during the period. Smith Group Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $15,719,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 284.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $11,104,000 after purchasing an additional 33,051 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.0 %

VMC stock opened at $247.55 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.70 billion, a PE ratio of 36.14, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $225.36 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $264.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.70.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on VMC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $304.55.

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.