Two Sigma Investments LP Decreases Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Two Sigma Investments LP cut its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 46.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 74,364 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 64,121 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned about 0.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $19,129,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 24,704 shares of the construction company's stock worth $6,355,000 after acquiring an additional 3,043 shares during the last quarter. Stockbridge Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. Stockbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,746,482 shares of the construction company's stock worth $449,248,000 after acquiring an additional 177,918 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Partners Ltd. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 27.1% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Wealth Partners Ltd. now owns 22,006 shares of the construction company's stock worth $5,927,000 after purchasing an additional 4,696 shares during the last quarter. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $6,092,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 70,790 shares of the construction company's stock worth $18,209,000 after purchasing an additional 4,826 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

VMC traded down $5.51 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $264.65. 632,683 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 949,243. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.69, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $250.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.07. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

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 stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Argus upgraded Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $302.91.

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.