Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Bought by Natixis Advisors L.P.

Natixis Advisors L.P. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 100,202 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,258 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. owned 0.08% of Vulcan Materials worth $22,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of VMC. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 33.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 3,548 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $806,000 after purchasing an additional 881 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 20,782 shares of the construction company's stock worth $4,718,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,916 shares of the construction company's stock worth $435,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $544,000. Finally, Gilbert & Cook Inc. boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 3,909 shares of the construction company's stock worth $887,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on VMC. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Friday, March 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $208.00 price target on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $277.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at $483,991.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Vulcan Materials news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at $483,991.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.48, for a total value of $312,576.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 330 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $85,958.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741. Insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC traded up $2.17 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $266.61. 548,870 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 788,917. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $265.53 and a 200-day moving average of $236.84. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $190.51 and a one year high of $276.58. The firm has a market cap of $35.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.60, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 2.74 and a quick ratio of 1.81.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The construction company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.91 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.50 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.92% and a return on equity of 12.32%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.95 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is 26.86%.

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.