Graham Capital Management L.P. Sells 3,294 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Graham Capital Management L.P. lowered its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 29.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,706 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 3,294 shares during the period. Graham Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,982,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. DAVENPORT & Co LLC boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 149.4% during the fourth quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 5,627 shares during the period. Smith Group Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $15,719,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 284.9% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $11,104,000 after buying an additional 33,051 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $612,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

NYSE VMC traded up $4.61 on Thursday, reaching $270.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 811,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 944,214. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market cap of $35.79 billion, a PE ratio of 39.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $243.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $260.41.

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

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is 27.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on VMC. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday. Argus raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $297.45.

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.