Sapient Capital LLC Takes Position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 919 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $209,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In related news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $483,991.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $483,991.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,376,992.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,017 shares of company stock valued at $3,344,741. 0.61% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. Raymond James upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective (up previously from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.85.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $260.47 on Tuesday. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $166.43 and a 1 year high of $276.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 2.39. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $261.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $231.86.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.06. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.80% and a net margin of 11.99%. The firm had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.08 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

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.