Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $317.00 to $315.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $342.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. B. Riley Financial initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $345.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Vulcan Materials from $316.00 to $296.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.64.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of VMC opened at $304.76 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $302.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $296.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $215.08 and a 52 week high of $331.09. The stock has a market cap of $40.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.53, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.07.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.41). The company had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.95 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.17 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,443,780. The trade was a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the third quarter worth $29,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.