Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Point72 Hong Kong Ltd

Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lessened its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Free Report) by 44.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,868 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,296 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd's holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $738,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $275.68. The company had a trading volume of 750,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 944,560. The business's 50 day moving average price is $245.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $260.41. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The firm has a market cap of $36.42 billion, a PE ratio of 40.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

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

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VMC. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Wolfe Research raised Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Raymond James lowered their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $302.91.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,640. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.