JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Price Target to $245.00

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) had its price target reduced by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $250.00 to $245.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the construction company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 1.39% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on VMC. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $297.00 to $292.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com lowered Vulcan Materials from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Vulcan Materials from $267.00 to $257.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Stephens cut their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $272.45.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC traded up $3.45 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $241.64. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 864,015 shares, compared to its average volume of 822,788. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 2.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $245.25 and a 200 day moving average of $253.44. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $190.51 and a twelve month high of $278.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.91 billion, a PE ratio of 35.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.82.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The construction company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.47 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.03 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 12.19%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.29 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $388,027,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,005,692 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,368,273,000 after buying an additional 755,991 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 621.1% during the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 235,879 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $64,581,000 after purchasing an additional 203,166 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1,191.7% during the second quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 159,005 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $39,541,000 after acquiring an additional 146,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 136.1% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 184,471 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $45,874,000 after purchasing an additional 106,324 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

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.