Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $318.67 and last traded at $313.2790, with a volume of 432094 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $305.92.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VMC. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $279.00 to $278.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $327.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $320.38.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $296.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $292.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 2.23. The company has a market cap of $41.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $240,073.60. This trade represents a 70.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.81, for a total transaction of $2,146,279.35. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 14,653 shares of company stock valued at $4,354,247 over the last three months. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. NBT Bank N A NY purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. 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.