SlateStone Wealth LLC Grows Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

SlateStone Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 24,905 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 161 shares during the quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $6,406,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $568,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target 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. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Raymond James cut their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $303.08.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC opened at $231.70 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $258.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $260.56. The company has a market capitalization of $30.61 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Research analysts expect 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

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.