Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $284.33.

VMC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price target for the company. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of VMC stock opened at $264.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $34.91 billion, a PE ratio of 41.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $275.18 and a 200-day moving average of $257.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.02. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $218.37 and a one year high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.29 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 29.02%.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SouthState Corp lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 669.2% during the 2nd quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 100 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 61.8% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 123 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.