Teacher Retirement System of Texas Increases Stock Position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 109.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,307 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,094 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $4,504,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $405,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock traded down $2.13 on Friday, hitting $268.60. The stock had a trading volume of 1,101,620 shares, compared to its average volume of 984,227. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Vulcan Materials Company has a one year low of $215.08 and a one year high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $35.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.10, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.82. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $265.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $256.40.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.50% and a return on equity of 12.91%. 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 business earned $0.80 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS 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 $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on VMC. Stephens set a $315.00 price objective on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. 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. UBS Group upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $302.91.

Vulcan Materials Company 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.