Vulcan Materials’ (VMC) Overweight Rating Reaffirmed at Stephens

Stephens reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Stephens currently has a $325.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on VMC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com raised Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Truist Financial upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $288.08.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock opened at $255.57 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.86. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $218.37 and a 52-week high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $33.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.31, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $275.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $257.99.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.34 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 11.43%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.29 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 29.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VMC. SouthState Corp boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 669.2% in the second quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 100 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 240.4% during the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth about $42,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.