Jump Financial LLC Sells 29,762 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Jump Financial LLC lowered its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 84.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,532 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 29,762 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $293.64.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.6 %

NYSE VMC traded down $1.56 on Friday, reaching $247.95. The company had a trading volume of 222,893 shares, compared to its average volume of 923,932. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The stock's 50 day moving average is $239.39 and its 200-day moving average is $259.37. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $32.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.09, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

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.