Valley Forge Investment Consultants Inc. ADV Buys New Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Valley Forge Investment Consultants Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,427 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $367,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew 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 valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,046,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC opened at $232.90 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $30.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week 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 business’s 50-day moving average is $253.92 and its 200-day moving average is $260.41.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Citigroup cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, 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. Three equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $302.67.

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.