ING Groep NV Trims Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

ING Groep NV cut its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 55,867 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 795 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $14,371,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew 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 worth $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 2.4 %

Shares of VMC stock opened at $258.64 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $267.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $261.46. The firm has a market cap of $34.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.84.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.8 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 paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 26.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James reduced their target price 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. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.00.

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.