Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) is DF Dent & Co. Inc.’s 2nd Largest Position

DF Dent & Co. Inc. decreased its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 964,390 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 20,171 shares during the quarter. Vulcan Materials accounts for approximately 3.1% of DF Dent & Co. Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. DF Dent & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $248,070,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Westpac Banking Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $334,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 9.7% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,488 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $640,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 12.8% in the 4th quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 11,014 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,843,000 after buying an additional 1,246 shares during the period. Finally, Elwood Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth $965,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $240.16 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $251.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $260.64. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $212.94 and a 12-month high of $298.31. 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 stock has a market cap of $31.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.06, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective on the stock. 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. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.58.

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.