Vulcan Materials Company $VMC Shares Sold by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its stake in Vulcan Materials by 9.0%, selling 19,740 shares and now holding 199,849 shares (about 0.15% of the company) valued at $57.04 million; institutional investors own roughly 90.39% of VMC.
• Vulcan missed Q4 estimates, reporting EPS of $1.70 versus the $2.11 consensus and revenue of $1.91 billion versus $1.95 billion, yet analysts still give a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $324.08.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.52 (annualized $2.08, yield 0.7%, DPR 25.62%), and Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares at an average price of $303.72.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its position in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 9.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 199,849 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 19,740 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.15% of Vulcan Materials worth $57,038,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VMC. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vulcan Materials

In other news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total value of $345,329.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:VMC opened at $290.11 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $286.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $293.29. The stock has a market cap of $37.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.10. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1 year low of $241.91 and a 1 year high of $331.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.69.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.41). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The firm had revenue of $1.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 9.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Vulcan Materials from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. DA Davidson lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $320.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen cut Vulcan Materials from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Vulcan Materials from $316.00 to $296.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $345.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $324.08.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

Vulcan Materials Company NYSE: VMC is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company's primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.

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