Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Narwhal Capital Management

Narwhal Capital Management lowered its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 122,607 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 8,375 shares during the period. Vulcan Materials comprises approximately 3.0% of Narwhal Capital Management's holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position. Narwhal Capital Management owned about 0.09% of Vulcan Materials worth $27,833,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.6 %

VMC stock traded up $4.26 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $270.15. The stock had a trading volume of 453,979 shares, compared to its average volume of 786,604. The firm has a market cap of $35.73 billion, a PE ratio of 38.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 2.39. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $162.00 and a 12-month high of $276.58. The company's 50-day moving average price is $257.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $228.96.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.99% and a return on equity of 12.80%. Vulcan Materials's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.08 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $260.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Wolfe Research cut shares of Vulcan Materials from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $264.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $268.85.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total transaction of $862,336.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,453,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total transaction of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741 in the last quarter. 0.62% of the stock is 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.