Bragg Financial Advisors Inc Reduces Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Bragg Financial Advisors Inc lessened its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,129 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 45 shares during the quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $290,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James lowered their target price 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. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.00.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE VMC opened at $243.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $32.21 billion, a PE ratio of 35.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $243.83 and a 200-day moving average of $259.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.