Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Acquires Shares of 19,756 Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 19,756 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,082,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 60.0% during the fourth quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 35,163 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $9,045,000 after buying an additional 13,191 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 13.6% in the 4th quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $439,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $174,000. Finally, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 41.8% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc now owns 1,581 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $406,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 target price on the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Barclays increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.00.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC stock opened at $252.68 on Monday. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $225.36 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $266.20 and its 200 day moving average is $261.66. The company has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.89, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. Research analysts predict 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 will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.86%.

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.