Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stake Boosted by Bank of New York Mellon Corp

Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 877,701 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 13,227 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $225,771,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the 3rd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of VMC stock opened at $245.34 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $225.36 and a 12 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. The firm has a market cap of $32.40 billion, a PE ratio of 35.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $264.63 and a 200-day moving average of $261.54.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Morgan Stanley upped 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. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $304.55.

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.