Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stake Boosted by Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 103.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 328,398 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 167,200 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned approximately 0.25% of Vulcan Materials worth $84,474,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company's stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the construction company's stock worth $461,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased 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 worth $233,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased 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 worth $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC increased 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. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.0 %

VMC stock traded up $0.09 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $245.48. 264,778 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 924,731. The business's 50 day moving average price is $238.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $259.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.47 billion, a PE ratio of 35.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week 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 - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. UBS Group downgraded Vulcan Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $343.00 to $258.00 in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Argus raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $293.64.

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.