LPL Financial LLC Has $21.24 Million Holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

LPL Financial LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 8.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 82,586 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 7,255 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC owned 0.06% of Vulcan Materials worth $21,243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after acquiring an additional 884,580 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 22.8% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 12,698 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,180,000 after purchasing an additional 2,354 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth $463,000. Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 53.9% in the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 6,727 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,685,000 after acquiring an additional 2,357 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 32.0% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 736,146 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $184,353,000 after purchasing an additional 178,634 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Vulcan Materials stock opened at $232.90 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $253.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.80. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $215.08 and a twelve month high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $30.81 billion, a PE ratio of 34.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. Research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Seaport Res Ptn raised Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $302.67.

About Vulcan Materials

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.