Russell Investments Group Ltd. Trims Holdings in Vulcan Materials Company $VMC

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lessened its stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) by 0.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 98,816 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 489 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.07% of Vulcan Materials worth $25,777,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 95 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 26.9% in the first quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 184 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steph & Co. bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the second quarter valued at about $55,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC opened at $297.08 on Friday. Vulcan Materials Company has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $311.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $294.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $282.28. The company has a market cap of $39.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.49, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.95.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.72 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.28 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 10th were given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 23.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on VMC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $279.00 to $278.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $317.58.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 4,853 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.63, for a total transaction of $1,434,692.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 41,485 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,264,210.55. The trade was a 10.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.55, for a total value of $577,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $240,073.60. This trade represents a 70.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 13,369 shares of company stock worth $3,920,556 in the last 90 days. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.