Jones Kertz & Associates Inc. Invests $1.81 Million in Vulcan Materials Company $VMC

Key Points

• Jones Kertz & Associates opened a new position in Vulcan Materials, buying 6,351 shares worth about $1.81 million, while institutional investors now own roughly 90.39% of the company.
• Vulcan missed quarterly expectations, reporting $1.70 EPS vs. $2.11 expected and $1.91 billion in revenue vs. $1.95 billion expected, though revenue was up 3.2% year-over-year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.52 (annualized $2.08, yield ~0.7%), and analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a $324.08 target.

Jones Kertz & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 6,351 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,811,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Evergreen Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $229,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Krilogy Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 1,645 shares of the construction company's stock worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 614.6% during the fourth quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 1,079 shares of the construction company's stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 928 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,009,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.0%

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $294.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $231.76 and a 1-year high of $331.09. The company has a market cap of $38.45 billion, a PE ratio of 36.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.10. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $288.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $293.42.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.41). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The business had revenue of $1.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.17 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 9.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.62%.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In related news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total value of $345,329.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on VMC. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Vulcan Materials from $316.00 to $296.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. B. Riley Financial started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $345.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vulcan Materials from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $324.08.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

Vulcan Materials Company NYSE: VMC is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company's primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.

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