HighTower Advisors LLC Increases Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 125.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 335,984 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 186,641 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.25% of Vulcan Materials worth $86,425,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in 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. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $227.18 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $30.01 billion, a PE ratio of 33.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $260.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on VMC. Raymond James dropped their target price 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. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $303.08.

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.