Weitz Investment Management Inc. Has $49.23 Million Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Weitz Investment Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 191,400 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 150 shares during the quarter. Vulcan Materials comprises about 2.5% of Weitz Investment Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Weitz Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $49,234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup cut their price target 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. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of VMC stock opened at $237.26 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $260.78.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $0.49 dividend. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 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.