Vulcan Materials Company $VMC Shares Bought by Qtron Investments LLC

Key Points

• Qtron Investments LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials Company by 76.7%, acquiring an additional 998 shares during the first quarter, raising the total to 2,299 shares valued at approximately $536,000.
• Vulcan Materials reported $2.45 earnings per share for the last quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65, with revenue reaching $2.10 billion against expectations of $2.23 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share, set to be paid on September 3rd, which reflects an annual yield of 0.7% and a dividend payout ratio of 27.37%.

Qtron Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 76.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,299 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 998 shares during the quarter. Qtron Investments LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.1% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,699,662 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,896,031,000 after acquiring an additional 347,155 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.6% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,967,777 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,625,583,000 after buying an additional 370,434 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 7.4% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,507,892 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,518,291,000 after buying an additional 445,691 shares during the period. Stockbridge Partners LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. Stockbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,746,482 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $449,248,000 after buying an additional 177,918 shares during the period. Finally, Alkeon Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Alkeon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,282,001 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $329,769,000 after buying an additional 450,000 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $4.0170 on Friday, hitting $292.2970. 529,856 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,045,533. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $272.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $259.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 12.81% and a net margin of 12.52%.The company had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.35 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VMC. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $286.00 to $279.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $321.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $304.27.

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.