Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $298.00.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Loop Capital dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Raymond James reduced their price target 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. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, UBS Group lowered Vulcan Materials from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $343.00 to $258.00 in a research report on Monday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $225.32 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $247.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.89, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

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.