MetLife Investment Management LLC Buys 565 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 36,461 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 565 shares during the quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $9,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $461,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake 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 during the period. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its position in 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 buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock opened at $234.35 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.21, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $240.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $259.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $293.64.

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.