Level Four Advisory Services LLC Makes New Investment in Vulcan Materials Company $VMC

Level Four Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 2,090 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $643,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of VMC. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

VMC stock opened at $274.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $304.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $297.52. Vulcan Materials Company has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $331.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.80, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.05.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a $0.52 dividend. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 24.14%.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the firm’s 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 available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total value of $345,329.64. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,937 shares of company stock worth $2,687,784 over the last three months. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on VMC shares. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Vulcan Materials from $317.00 to $315.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $320.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $326.14.

Vulcan Materials 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.