Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 440 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 20.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,715 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $442,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake 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 buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on VMC shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, March 24th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price 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, February 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.6 %

VMC opened at $230.98 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The company has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a PE ratio of 33.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50 day moving average of $250.05 and a 200 day moving average of $260.50.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 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.