829 Shares in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Purchased by AMG National Trust Bank

AMG National Trust Bank bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 829 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $213,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 240.4% during the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC stock opened at $221.47 on Friday. 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 price of $261.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $261.33. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $218.71 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.26 billion, a PE ratio of 32.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 28.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on VMC. Raymond James cut 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 restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $303.08.

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.