Highview Capital Management LLC DE Makes New $1 Million Investment in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Highview Capital Management LLC DE acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,898 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,003,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position 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 buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $461,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in 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 during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Raymond James lowered their price target on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Wolfe Research upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $302.91.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC stock traded down $3.62 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $268.06. The stock had a trading volume of 816,367 shares, compared to its average volume of 944,150. The stock has a market cap of $35.41 billion, a PE ratio of 39.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $249.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.38. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.80 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.80%.

About Vulcan Materials

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.