Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Sells 4,079 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lowered its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 2.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 201,427 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 4,079 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned approximately 0.15% of Vulcan Materials worth $54,974,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $336,000. SteelPeak Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 2,057 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Vicus Capital bought a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter valued at $245,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 31.7% in the first quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 266,647 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $72,742,000 after purchasing an additional 64,220 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on VMC. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Stephens boosted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 target price (up from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.08.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vulcan Materials news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.50, for a total transaction of $254,500.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,660 shares in the company, valued at approximately $676,970. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.50, for a total transaction of $254,500.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,660 shares in the company, valued at approximately $676,970. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 6,610 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.64, for a total transaction of $1,802,150.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 4,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,304,309.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 17,210 shares of company stock worth $4,653,520 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of Vulcan Materials stock traded down $1.44 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $242.28. 32,932 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 768,458. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $256.82 and a 200-day moving average of $250.00. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $190.51 and a 12 month high of $276.58. The company has a market cap of $32.04 billion, a PE ratio of 35.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 2.74.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The construction company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by ($0.11). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.92% and a return on equity of 12.32%. The company had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.95 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 24th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.86%.

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.