Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P trimmed its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,045 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 63 shares during the period. Vulcan Materials comprises 1.2% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $5,156,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $380,369,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 19.9% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after purchasing an additional 884,580 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 28,529.4% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 523,631 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $134,694,000 after purchasing an additional 521,802 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,760,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 125.0% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 335,984 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $86,425,000 after buying an additional 186,641 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on VMC. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Raymond James lowered 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. raised Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $238.05 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $254.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $260.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.75, 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

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.