Prudential Financial Inc. Sells 51,867 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Prudential Financial Inc. lowered its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 32.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 106,966 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 51,867 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. owned about 0.08% of Vulcan Materials worth $27,515,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 1.7 %

NYSE VMC opened at $236.97 on Thursday. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average of $255.29 and a 200-day moving average of $260.56. The company has a market cap of $31.31 billion, a PE ratio of 34.59, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. 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 0.83%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. 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 report on Thursday, January 16th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $302.67.

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.