Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Buys 1,862 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,686 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,862 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $6,512,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Vulcan Materials by 10.4% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,180 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,319,000 after buying an additional 676 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 4,685 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $861,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 32.2% in the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,451 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $450,000 after purchasing an additional 597 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.9% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 19,808 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,639,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at $470,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $255.07 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $166.43 and a 52-week high of $276.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a current ratio of 3.17. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $263.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.60. The firm has a market cap of $33.74 billion, a PE ratio of 36.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.83.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.99% and a return on equity of 12.80%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VMC has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target (up previously from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Vulcan Materials from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $264.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $273.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vulcan Materials

In other news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total transaction of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total transaction of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at $7,376,992.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $483,991.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Profile

Vulcan Materials Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and supplies construction aggregates primarily in the United States. It operates through four segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The company provides crushed stones, sand and gravel, sand, and other aggregates; and related products and services that are applied in construction and maintenance of highways, streets, and other public works, as well as in the construction of housing and commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential facilities.