235,646 Shares in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Acquired by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 235,646 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $60,615,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.18% of Vulcan Materials as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of VMC. DAVENPORT & Co LLC increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 149.4% in the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 5,627 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $514,000. SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $249,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 64.9% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,910 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,035,000 after buying an additional 3,113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of 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 and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 3.0%

Vulcan Materials stock traded down $8.15 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $262.01. 2,022,396 shares of the stock were exchanged, 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's 50-day simple moving average is $251.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $260.09. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.25, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The business's revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials 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 Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on VMC shares. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Three 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 MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $302.91.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. This trade represents a 34.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.62% of the stock is owned by 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.