Waverton Investment Management Ltd Increases Stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 7.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 211,881 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 14,747 shares during the period. Vulcan Materials comprises 0.8% of Waverton Investment Management Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Waverton Investment Management Ltd owned about 0.16% of Vulcan Materials worth $49,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $257.27 on Friday. Vulcan Materials Company has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.49, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The firm's 50 day moving average is $262.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $256.76. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

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. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.91% and a net margin of 12.50%. The company had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.80 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, March 24th. Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Stephens set a $315.00 target price on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $302.91.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vulcan Materials 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 hyperlink. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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