Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $274.73.

Several brokerages recently commented on VMC. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $267.00 to $257.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $297.00 to $292.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Loop Capital lowered their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Stephens dropped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $320.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 3,909 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $887,000 after buying an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 5,822 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,322,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 45.1% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,602 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $364,000 after purchasing an additional 498 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,629 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $272,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $252.04 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $248.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $255.63. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $190.51 and a fifty-two week high of $278.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.33 billion, a PE ratio of 36.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 2.48.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The construction company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.47 by ($0.12). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 12.19%. The company had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.29 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 26.86%.

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.