Citigroup Has Lowered Expectations for Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Price

Key Points

• Citigroup lowered Vulcan Materials’ price target from $355 to $350 but maintained a “buy” rating, implying approximately 28% upside from the stock’s $273.12 price.
• Vulcan shares fell 3.8% during trading and remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Analysts collectively hold a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average target price of $327.93.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $2.59 per share and revenue of $2.16 billion; management reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA forecast of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $355.00 to $350.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the construction company's stock. Citigroup's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 28.15% from the stock's current price.

VMC has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $350.00 to $349.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $296.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $310.00 to $305.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Vulcan Materials from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.93.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 3.8%

Shares of VMC traded down $10.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $273.12. The company had a trading volume of 727,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,181,986. The stock has a market cap of $35.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $288.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $290.30. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $252.35 and a fifty-two week high of $331.09.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.13. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 13.81%.The business had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.42 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 9.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,212 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.29, for a total value of $646,545.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 8,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,547,599.64. This trade represents a 20.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $383,613,000. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $273,861,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 908.6% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 755,682 shares of the construction company's stock worth $205,772,000 after buying an additional 680,761 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 121.4% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 717,409 shares of the construction company's stock worth $204,619,000 after acquiring an additional 393,339 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $98,911,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Vulcan Materials

Here are the key news stories impacting Vulcan Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded expectations. Vulcan reported adjusted earnings of $2.59 per share versus the $2.46 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 2.5% year over year to $2.16 billion, slightly ahead of forecasts. Vulcan Materials tops estimates as pricing offsets weather, energy costs
• Positive Sentiment: Aggregates performance remained resilient. Higher pricing, disciplined execution and cost controls offset energy inflation and disruptive weather. Aggregates shipments increased 1% to 59.9 million tons, while segment gross profit reached $567 million, or $9.47 per ton. Vulcan Materials reports second quarter revenue of $2.16 billion
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its full-year outlook. Vulcan maintained its adjusted EBITDA forecast of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion, supporting confidence that pricing and operational improvements can continue to offset cost pressures. The company also returned $318 million to shareholders through $250 million of stock repurchases and $68 million of dividends. Vulcan reports second quarter 2026 results
• Neutral Sentiment: Mexico’s arbitration payment provides a limited recovery. Mexico agreed to pay Vulcan $15 million, but the amount is less than 1% of the company’s total claim, making the near-term financial benefit immaterial relative to the broader dispute. Mexico to pay Vulcan Materials $15M in arbitration case
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may be focusing on the limited pace of growth and persistent cost risks. Revenue and net earnings increased only modestly, while adverse weather and elevated energy costs continue to pressure results. The earnings beat and reaffirmed outlook therefore may not have been strong enough to overcome cautious expectations for a relatively highly valued construction-materials stock.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

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.

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