Point72 Asset Management L.P. Decreases Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Point72 Asset Management L.P. lowered its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 47.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 55,989 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 49,902 shares during the quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $14,402,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Vulcan Materials stock traded down $3.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $268.18. The company had a trading volume of 194,933 shares, compared to its average volume of 938,287. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.43 billion, a PE ratio of 39.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $249.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $260.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31.

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

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Wolfe Research upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Three equities research 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $302.91.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the firm'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 owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. This trade represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.