Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Buys 1,316 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 24.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,605 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,316 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,699,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the 4th 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. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $61,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $235.29 on Tuesday. 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 has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $31.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $257.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $260.69.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Raymond James reduced their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $303.08.

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.