KBC Group NV Trims Holdings in Vulcan Materials Company $VMC

KBC Group NV decreased its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) by 5.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 70,145 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 4,117 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned 0.05% of Vulcan Materials worth $19,100,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $383,613,000. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $273,861,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 121.4% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 717,409 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $204,619,000 after acquiring an additional 393,339 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 993.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 396,628 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $113,126,000 after acquiring an additional 360,368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $98,911,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VMC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $350.00 to $349.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $322.00 to $321.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.79.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In related news, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,212 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.29, for a total transaction of $646,545.48. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,547,599.64. This trade represents a 20.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.65% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $276.35 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $286.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $290.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.86, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.05. Vulcan Materials Company has a one year low of $252.35 and a one year high of $331.09.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The construction company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.25. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The company had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.00 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 9.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 13th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 13th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 24.73%.

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.