Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by William Blair Investment Management LLC

William Blair Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 52.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 71,235 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 77,276 shares during the quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $18,324,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted 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 valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday. 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. 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. Royal Bank of Canada boosted 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, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $241.38 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $31.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $257.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $260.50. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted 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 return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders 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 represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

About Vulcan Materials

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.