Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average on Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Vulcan Materials shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $285.22 before closing at $281.59. Bank of America raised its price target from $305 to $348 and maintained a “buy” rating.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive but mixed, with 12 buy ratings, nine holds and one sell; the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with a $309.65 target price.
• Vulcan’s latest quarter produced an adjusted EPS beat of $2.83 versus $2.81 expected, but revenue fell 4.7% year over year to about $2.18 billion and missed estimates, while aggregate shipments declined 3%.

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday after Bank of America raised their price target on the stock from $305.00 to $348.00. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $280.40 and traded as high as $285.22. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. Vulcan Materials shares last traded at $281.59, with a volume of 1,509,004 shares changing hands.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $320.00 to $300.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Stephens decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $340.00 to $285.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 2nd. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $326.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $309.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, Director J. Hill sold 14,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.17, for a total transaction of $3,866,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 58,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,075,579.53. This trade represents a 19.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,000 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.10, for a total transaction of $570,200.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 6,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,914,731.60. The trade was a 22.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vulcan Materials

Here are the key news stories impacting Vulcan Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat estimates: Vulcan reported adjusted EPS of $2.83, narrowly above the $2.81 consensus. Management also highlighted pricing strength, operational efficiencies and an approximately $2.4 billion 2026 adjusted EBITDA target. Vulcan Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Forward outlook and capital returns supported sentiment: Vulcan said it is targeting earnings growth again in 2027, expanded through acquisitions in Tennessee and southern Ohio, and returned $417 million to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Vulcan outlook analysis
• Positive Sentiment: D.A. Davidson became more bullish: The firm raised its price target from $315 to $330 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain divided: RBC raised its target slightly to $257 while maintaining “sector perform,” and BNP Paribas reduced its target to $281. The mixed recommendations may limit the impact of the bullish target increase.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and volumes weakened: Third-quarter revenue fell about 4.7% year over year to roughly $2.19 billion, below the $2.24 billion consensus, while aggregates shipments declined 3%. Lower 2026 EBITDA guidance and cautious forecasts from Wells Fargo and Stifel remain overhangs. Vulcan Q3 earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a cautious stance: Although it raised its target from $249 to $253, it kept an “underweight” rating, indicating its view that the stock is priced above fundamental value.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VMC. Markel Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $234,000. Farrow Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Farrow Financial Inc. now owns 8,697 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,128,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $81,000. Putney Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $252,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Wealth Group LLC Co. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $483,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 0.5%

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $255.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $280.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market capitalization of $36.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.05.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The construction company reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.24 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 13.03% and a net margin of 13.77%. The company's revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 24th. Investors of record on Monday, November 9th will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 9th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.62%.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

Vulcan Materials Company NYSE: VMC is a producer and distributor of construction materials used in infrastructure, commercial, residential and industrial projects. The company is the largest producer of construction aggregates in the United States, including crushed stone, sand and gravel.

In addition to aggregates, Vulcan Materials produces asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and cement. Its materials are used in roads, bridges, airports, commercial buildings, homes and other construction applications.

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