308,002 Shares in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Purchased by Fernbridge Capital Management LP

Fernbridge Capital Management LP bought a new position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 308,002 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $79,227,000. Vulcan Materials makes up about 4.2% of Fernbridge Capital Management LP's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Fernbridge Capital Management LP owned about 0.23% of Vulcan Materials as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake 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 lifted 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 buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $301,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock traded up $3.52 on Friday, reaching $267.15. 427,928 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 935,519. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $238.68 and a 200-day moving average of $259.68. The firm has a market cap of $35.34 billion, a PE ratio of 39.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. Vulcan Materials's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.80 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal 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 issued a $0.49 dividend. This is a positive change 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 yield of 0.73%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James dropped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, March 24th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $295.64.

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.