AlphaQuest LLC Buys 6,087 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 281.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,253 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,087 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,123,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,062,201 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,559,380,000 after buying an additional 741,631 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,281,102 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,322,546,000 after acquiring an additional 65,163 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,660,931 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $916,807,000 after acquiring an additional 78,271 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,311,585 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $826,644,000 after acquiring an additional 33,061 shares during the period. Finally, Stockbridge Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Stockbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,568,564 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $392,815,000 after purchasing an additional 137,365 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Citigroup cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report 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 report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $221.47 on Friday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $29.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $218.71 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $261.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.33.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced 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. The company 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 last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. 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.