Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 2,100 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio reduced its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 3.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 55,696 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,100 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $14,327,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 149.4% during the fourth quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,416,000 after acquiring an additional 5,627 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $514,000. SYM FINANCIAL Corp bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $249,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 64.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,910 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,035,000 after buying an additional 3,113 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 42.9% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,599 shares of the construction company's stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 1,081 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded down $8.15 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $262.01. 2,022,396 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 956,362. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $250.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.07. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $34.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84.

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

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Raymond James reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Loop Capital reduced their price target on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Argus upgraded Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $302.91.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.