Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Buys 173 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 14,815 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $3,363,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $62,000. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 273.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 295 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 48.9% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 326 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, January 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Wolfe Research cut Vulcan Materials from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Friday, March 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $273.00.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $259.27 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.14, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.83. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $166.43 and a 1 year high of $276.58. The business has a 50-day moving average of $264.10 and a 200-day moving average of $234.05. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.06. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.80% and a net margin of 11.99%. The business had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. Vulcan Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.43 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In related news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.48, for a total value of $312,576.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,958.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Vulcan Materials news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.48, for a total value of $312,576.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,958.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total value of $862,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,453,844.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.