Brokerages Set Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) PT at $302.91

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $302.91.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vulcan Materials from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their price target for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Argus raised Vulcan Materials to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of VMC traded up $2.70 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $265.23. The stock had a trading volume of 2,118,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 962,889. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The firm has a market cap of $35.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $251.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $259.90. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Vulcan Materials's dividend payout ratio is 27.80%.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $405,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the first quarter worth about $27,670,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 31.5% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 334 shares of the construction company's stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 28.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,321 shares of the construction company's stock worth $775,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 10.1% in the first quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 937 shares of the construction company's stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, SCS Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the first quarter worth $15,716,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

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.