Fulcrum Asset Management LLP Makes New Investment in Vulcan Materials Company $VMC

Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,121 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $554,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. NBT Bank N A NY bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VMC. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $322.00 to $321.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 price target (down from $335.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Raymond James Financial set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $329.62.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $274.89 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $35.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.69, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $280.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $292.17. Vulcan Materials Company has a one year low of $252.35 and a one year high of $331.09.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The construction company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 EPS. Research analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 9.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total value of $345,329.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Vulcan Materials

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.