696 Shares in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Acquired by Marshall Investment Management LLC

Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 696 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded 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 target price on the stock. Raymond James decreased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.00.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $252.68 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $266.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $261.51. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $225.36 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. 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. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 26.86%.

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.