Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Shares Purchased by Premier Fund Managers Ltd

Key Points

• Premier Fund Managers Ltd increased its stake in Vulcan Materials Company by 20%, holding 240,096 shares following an additional purchase during the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors have also bought stakes in Vulcan Materials, contributing to institutional ownership of 90.39% of the company's stock.
• Analysts have given Vulcan Materials a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy", with target prices ranging from $280 to $325, highlighting positive growth expectations.

Premier Fund Managers Ltd lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 20.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 240,096 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 40,096 shares during the quarter. Vulcan Materials accounts for 2.1% of Premier Fund Managers Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Premier Fund Managers Ltd owned approximately 0.18% of Vulcan Materials worth $55,891,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $497,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 38,928 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $10,013,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. DnB Asset Management AS increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 26,086 shares of the construction company's stock worth $6,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,568 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allstate Corp purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $993,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE VMC traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $274.77. The company had a trading volume of 946,430 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,065,258. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $265.23 and a 200 day moving average of $257.53. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.82.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 12.50% and a return on equity of 12.91%. The company had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.35 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VMC shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. UBS Group raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered 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 research note on Friday. Three 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, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $302.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vulcan Materials 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 value of $405,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.62% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Vulcan Materials

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.