Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Holdings Lifted by DnB Asset Management AS

DnB Asset Management AS lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,086 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,568 shares during the period. DnB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $6,710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 38,928 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $10,013,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $10,774,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $380,369,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 352 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, NEOS Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 27.0% in the fourth quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 29,521 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $7,594,000 after buying an additional 6,284 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

NYSE:VMC opened at $232.90 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50-day moving average of $253.92 and a 200-day moving average of $260.80. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The firm has a market cap of $30.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.84%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Raymond James cut 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. Finally, 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $302.67.

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.