Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Cuts Stock Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lowered its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,401,037 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 28,341 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $360,406,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $380,369,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company's stock worth $134,694,000 after buying an additional 521,802 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth $74,760,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 125.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $86,425,000 after acquiring an additional 186,641 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on VMC. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $293.64.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

NYSE VMC traded down $1.72 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $247.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 256,155 shares, compared to its average volume of 924,006. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $32.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.13, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $239.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $259.37.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.79%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

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.