Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.49

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 11th, RTT News reports. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a dividend of 0.49 per share by the construction company on Wednesday, September 3rd. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th.

Vulcan Materials has a payout ratio of 19.5% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Vulcan Materials to earn $9.72 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.96 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 20.2%.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC traded up $0.76 during trading on Monday, hitting $269.76. The company's stock had a trading volume of 768,637 shares, compared to its average volume of 984,295. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $265.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $256.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.82. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.50% and a return on equity of 12.91%. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on VMC. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, March 24th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Argus upgraded Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $302.91.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $405,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $497,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,359 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,017,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,195 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $745,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 28.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,321 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $775,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 31.5% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 334 shares of the construction company's stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.