Nicolet Advisory Services LLC Has $334,000 Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,327 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 143 shares during the quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $334,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter worth about $811,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 149.4% in the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 5,627 shares during the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $514,000. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $15,719,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 284.9% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $11,104,000 after buying an additional 33,051 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.58.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 2.6 %

NYSE VMC opened at $230.98 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $215.08 and a one year high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The firm has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $250.05 and its 200-day moving average is $260.40.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $0.49 dividend. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 28.61%.

Vulcan Materials 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.