New York State Common Retirement Fund Has $22.94 Million Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

New York State Common Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 89,162 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 5,300 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $22,935,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 3,747 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,987 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Equity Partners increased its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 4.5% during the third quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 1,099 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 5.1% in the third quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 2.3 %

Shares of VMC opened at $252.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.89, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $266.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $261.44. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $225.36 and a 52-week high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on VMC. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.00.

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.