Vulcan Materials Company $VMC Shares Sold by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC reduced its stake in Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) by 26.3%, now holding 6,086 shares valued at $1.42 million.
• Vulcan Materials reported a missed earnings estimate of $2.45 EPS for the last quarter, falling short of the $2.65 expected by analysts, although revenue increased by 4.4% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.49, which will be distributed to stockholders on September 3rd, representing an annualized yield of 0.7% and a payout ratio of 27.37%.

AlphaQuest LLC trimmed its position in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 26.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,086 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,167 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,420,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 26.9% during the first quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 184 shares of the construction company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the first quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $292.2970 on Friday. Vulcan Materials Company has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $38.62 billion, a PE ratio of 40.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm's 50-day moving average is $272.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.19.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65 by ($0.20). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The business had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.23 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.35 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. Vulcan Materials's payout ratio is currently 27.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a report on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $321.00 price objective (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Stephens set a $315.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $304.27.

Vulcan Materials 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.

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