Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Increases Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 69,610 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,664 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.05% of Vulcan Materials worth $17,906,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,046,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price target for the company. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $302.67.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of VMC opened at $238.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $31.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.75, a P/E/G 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 simple moving average of $254.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The company 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 last year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. 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. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

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.