Woodline Partners LP Reduces Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Woodline Partners LP reduced its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 57.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 75,844 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 103,929 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP owned approximately 0.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $19,509,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $270.61 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $248.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $260.60. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $35.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.51, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.80 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 0.72%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VMC shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price 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. Three research 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. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $302.91.

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.

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