Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $327.65, but opened at $295.95. Vulcan Materials shares last traded at $303.40, with a volume of 519,581 shares.

The construction company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.41). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The business had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.17 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 23.28%.

Key Vulcan Materials News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vulcan Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management expects improving demand and set a 2026 adjusted EBITDA target of $2.4B–$2.6B, signaling confidence in a recovery across public and private end markets. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year results showed operating cash flow up ~29% to $1.8B and management highlighted margin expansion and full‑year earnings growth, supporting longer‑term cash generation. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors can review the full Q4 earnings call transcript and slide deck for more detail on trends, pricing, and market dynamics discussed by management. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally constructive with a median price target above current levels (median ~$327.5), showing continued buy-side interest despite the near-term weakness. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS of $1.70 missed estimates (~$2.11) and revenue of $1.91B came in below consensus, with gross profit and EPS down year‑over‑year — the primary catalyst for the selloff. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The 2026 EBITDA range was perceived as softer than some investors expected, and management flagged downstream portfolio actions (sale of California ready‑mix operations), adding near-term uncertainty. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling activity and some large institutional re‑allocations were highlighted in coverage, which can amplify downside near term. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a $327.00 price objective on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $310.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.38.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.81, for a total transaction of $2,146,279.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total value of $196,175.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 8,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,443,780. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VMC. National Pension Service lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.8% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 175,458 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $45,763,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,625,271 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,345,703,000 after purchasing an additional 414,828 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,824,987 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,040,914,000 after buying an additional 857,210 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 104.3% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 72,113 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $22,183,000 after buying an additional 36,823 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 19.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 256,789 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $66,976,000 after buying an additional 41,504 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $40.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.95, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.07. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $302.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $296.37.

About Vulcan Materials

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.