Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Raises Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 14.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 40,068 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,101 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $10,307,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during 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. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock opened at $225.22 on Wednesday. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $215.08 and a one year high of $298.31. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $260.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $261.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a market capitalization of $29.75 billion, a PE ratio of 32.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $303.08.

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.