SG Americas Securities LLC Increases Stock Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 707.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 63,842 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 55,932 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $14,894,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 42.9% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,599 shares of the construction company's stock worth $926,000 after purchasing an additional 1,081 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 969 shares of the construction company's stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 24.2% during the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 2,573 shares of the construction company's stock worth $662,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $743,000. Finally, Marion Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 17.4% during the first quarter. Marion Wealth Management now owns 5,403 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,261,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.6%

VMC stock traded up $4.21 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $265.33. 844,694 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 969,164. 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. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $257.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $258.65. The company has a market cap of $35.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84.

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

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is currently 27.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VMC. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Argus raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $302.91.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.62% of the stock is 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.