Ycg LLC Makes New Investment in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Key Points

• Ycg LLC has invested approximately $9.35 million in Vulcan Materials Company by purchasing 40,068 shares during the first quarter.
• Institutional investors now own 90.39% of Vulcan Materials' stock, with notable increases in positions from firms like Vanguard Group and JPMorgan Chase.
• Research analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Vulcan Materials, with an average price target of $304.27.

YCG LLC bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 40,068 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $9,348,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. National Pension Service raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 15.1% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 174,003 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $40,595,000 after purchasing an additional 22,827 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 99,305 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $23,167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,143 shares during the last quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 41,107 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $9,588,000 after buying an additional 3,055 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 504 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $118,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter valued at about $82,659,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Vulcan Materials from $286.00 to $279.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 1st. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $321.00 target price (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $304.27.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 0.6%

Vulcan Materials stock traded down $1.88 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $293.76. 936,266 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,029,238. The company has a market cap of $38.81 billion, a PE ratio of 41.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.83. Vulcan Materials Company has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $298.31. The company's fifty day moving average price is $269.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $258.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

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

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

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

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.