Proficio Capital Partners LLC Buys 521,802 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 28,529.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 523,631 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 521,802 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC owned approximately 0.40% of Vulcan Materials worth $134,694,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 240.4% during the 3rd 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 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised 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 buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter valued at about $57,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VMC. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. StockNews.com upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. UBS Group assumed 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 for the company. Finally, Raymond James cut their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $304.55.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $250.36 on Thursday. 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 fifty day simple moving average is $264.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $261.65. The stock has a market cap of $33.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $225.36 and a twelve month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Vulcan Materials 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.