Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Receives Consensus Rating of "Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Vulcan Materials Company has received a consensus rating of "Buy" from fourteen research firms, with an average 12-month target price of $304.27.
• The company reported $2.45 EPS for the last quarter, missing estimates, but achieved a 4.4% year-over-year revenue increase at $2.10 billion.
• Vulcan Materials recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49, indicating an annualized yield of 0.7%.

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $304.2727.

Several research firms recently commented on VMC. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Vulcan Materials and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $321.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $286.00 to $279.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 1st. UBS Group raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $280.00 to $318.00 in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $303.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was 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 directly owned 2,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 21.0% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 951 shares of the construction company's stock worth $222,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 42.1% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,798 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 4,678 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 24.3% during the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 921 shares of the construction company's stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 27.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the construction company's stock worth $398,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 969 shares of the construction company's stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $281.71 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $266.29 and a 200-day moving average of $257.90. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.35, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.65 by ($0.20). The company had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.35 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.37%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.