Argent Trust Co Has $3.47 Million Stock Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Argent Trust Co increased its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,472 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the period. Argent Trust Co’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $3,465,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,352,507 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,206,355,000 after purchasing an additional 90,157 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 13.9% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,062,201 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,559,380,000 after acquiring an additional 741,631 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,348,418 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $859,171,000 after buying an additional 36,833 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $380,369,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,163,900 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $299,390,000 after purchasing an additional 96,724 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 1.6 %

NYSE VMC opened at $235.63 on Friday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $31.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.40, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $215.08 and a 12 month high of $298.31. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $245.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $259.68.

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 company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.00.

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.