Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Announces Earnings Results

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41, Zacks reports. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 11.43%.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $270.58 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $267.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $261.39. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $225.36 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.68, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 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 0.72%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on VMC shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. StockNews.com raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Raymond James decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price objective on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $301.18.

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.