Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Purchased by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,785 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $7,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth 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. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $301,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $568,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $231.70 on Friday. 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’s 50-day moving average price is $258.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $260.56. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 last year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued 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 0.85%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

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.