Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Position Decreased by Southeast Asset Advisors LLC

Southeast Asset Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 18.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,008 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,779 shares during the period. Southeast Asset Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,060,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted 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 acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in 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 during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James reduced their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Loop Capital lowered their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC opened at $230.98 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a PE ratio of 33.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $250.05 and a 200-day moving average of $260.62. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. 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 prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. 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%.

Vulcan Materials 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.