Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Bought by USS Investment Management Ltd

USS Investment Management Ltd raised its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 425.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,991 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,091 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $7,974,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 29.0% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 472,194 shares of the construction company's stock worth $118,251,000 after purchasing an additional 106,187 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,845 shares of the construction company's stock worth $732,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $263,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 51.8% during the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 1,626 shares of the construction company's stock worth $418,000 after buying an additional 555 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 11.2% in the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,423 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $623,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of VMC traded up $2.73 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $270.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 653,164 shares, compared to its average volume of 943,551. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The stock has a market cap of $35.79 billion, a PE ratio of 39.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company's 50 day moving average is $250.32 and its 200 day moving average is $260.00.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.80%.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Argus raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.