Securian Asset Management Inc. Cuts Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,080 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 251 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,821,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC raised 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 worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank raised 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 worth $568,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VMC. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective 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. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Raymond James dropped their target price 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 0.8 %

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $225.39 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $258.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for 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. Analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio 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.