Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Coverage Initiated at B. Riley

Equities research analysts at B. Riley started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $345.00 price target on the construction company’s stock. B. Riley’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 12.72% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on VMC. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Vulcan Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $279.00 to $278.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $319.92.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE:VMC opened at $306.06 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $293.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $289.60. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month 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 firm has a market cap of $40.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.35, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.06.

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

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total transaction 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 approximately $2,443,780. The trade was a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.55, for a total value of $577,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $240,073.60. This represents a 70.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 20,471 shares of company stock worth $6,054,615. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 187.9% in the 4th quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,946 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 1,270 shares during the last quarter. LeConte Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. LeConte Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,794 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $512,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Meyer Handelman Co. raised its stake in Vulcan Materials by 45.0% during the fourth quarter. Meyer Handelman Co. now owns 1,730 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $493,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 253,732 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $72,369,000 after purchasing an additional 1,540 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $389,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.