Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Has $1.45 Million Holdings in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in Vulcan Materials Company by 70.1%, owning 6,216 shares after selling 14,551 shares in the first quarter.
• Vulcan Materials reported earnings of $2.45 per share, missing estimates by $0.20, with revenue of $2.10 billion compared to an expected $2.23 billion.
• A quarterly dividend of $0.49 has been declared, representing an annualized yield of 0.7% with a payout ratio of 27.80%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 70.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,216 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 14,551 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,450,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $1.40 on Tuesday, hitting $283.25. The stock had a trading volume of 788,718 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,047,288. Vulcan Materials Company has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.67. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $265.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $257.56. The company has a market capitalization of $37.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.35 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In related 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target 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. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $321.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Argus raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $304.27.

Vulcan Materials 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.