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

Shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $319.9231.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $342.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.4%

VMC stock opened at $299.82 on Thursday. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $313.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $295.59 and its 200-day moving average is $291.62. The firm has a market cap of $39.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.06.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.72 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.28 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 13.47% and a net margin of 14.19%.Vulcan Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total value of $196,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 8,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,443,780. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.81, for a total value of $2,146,279.35. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,471 shares of company stock worth $6,054,615. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 86.3% in the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 95 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. acquired a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.