PFW Advisors LLC Takes Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

PFW Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 120,190 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,916,000. Vulcan Materials accounts for approximately 9.5% of PFW Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. PFW Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Vulcan Materials at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after acquiring an additional 884,580 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,281,102 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,322,546,000 after buying an additional 65,163 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.2% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,660,931 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $916,807,000 after buying an additional 78,271 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,311,585 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $826,644,000 after acquiring an additional 33,061 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,130,537 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $533,551,000 after acquiring an additional 330,433 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VMC. StockNews.com raised Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Barclays lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $296.18.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC traded up $4.21 during trading on Monday, hitting $255.90. The stock had a trading volume of 732,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 634,789. The company has a current ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $219.73 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $258.29. The firm has a market cap of $33.79 billion, a PE ratio of 40.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.34 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.29 EPS. Analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 EPS for the current year.

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.