Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Buys 1,938 Shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Key Points

• Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials Company by 3.1%, owning 64,033 shares worth approximately $14.94 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Vulcan Materials recently reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.45 for the quarter, missing the analysts' consensus estimate of $2.65, with revenue of $2.10 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49, resulting in an annual yield of 0.7%, with a payout ratio of 27.37%.

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 3.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 64,033 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,938 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $14,939,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 21.0% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 951 shares of the construction company's stock worth $222,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 42.1% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,798 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 4,678 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 24.3% during the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 921 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $215,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 27.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 365 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 969 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $249,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 2,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on VMC. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $321.00 price target (up from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, August 4th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $304.27.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock traded up $5.59 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $290.83. The stock had a trading volume of 229,250 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,058,295. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $267.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $257.88. The company has a market capitalization of $38.42 billion, a PE ratio of 40.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31.

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

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

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

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.