ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Buys New Position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. recently acquired 4,852 shares of Vulcan Materials Company valued at approximately $1,132,000, indicating a growing interest in the construction sector by institutional investors.
• Several hedge funds increased their stakes in Vulcan Materials, with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC growing its stake by 42.1%, now holding shares valued at $3,686,000.
• Vulcan Materials announced a quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share, representing an annualized yield of 0.7%, and will be paid to shareholders on September 3rd.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 4,852 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,132,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,699,662 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,896,031,000 after buying an additional 347,155 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,507,892 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,518,291,000 after purchasing an additional 445,691 shares during the period. Stockbridge Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Stockbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,746,482 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $449,248,000 after purchasing an additional 177,918 shares during the period. Alkeon Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Alkeon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,282,001 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $329,769,000 after buying an additional 450,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,163,900 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $299,390,000 after buying an additional 96,724 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $6.96 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $292.20. The company had a trading volume of 1,045,795 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,063,796. The company has a fifty day moving average of $267.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $257.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.83. Vulcan Materials Company has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65 by ($0.20). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The business had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.35 EPS. Vulcan Materials's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James Financial reduced 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, April 29th. Argus raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $286.00 to $279.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a report on Friday, May 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $304.27.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.