Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Receives Neutral Rating from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) in a report published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a $320.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $335.00.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $317.00 to $315.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $320.00 price objective on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. B. Riley Financial began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $345.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $326.14.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of VMC stock opened at $295.67 on Wednesday. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two week high of $331.09. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $304.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $297.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.69.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.14%.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total value of $196,175.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,443,780. This represents a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total transaction of $345,329.64. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,937 shares of company stock valued at $2,687,784 over the last three months. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $497,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,359 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,017,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,195 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $745,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 28.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,321 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $775,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Vulcan Materials by 31.5% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 334 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. 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.