Scott & Selber Inc. Decreases Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Scott & Selber Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,604 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 146 shares during the quarter. Scott & Selber Inc.’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $1,699,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VMC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 254 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 5.1% in the third quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 2.3% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $568,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 19,618 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,046,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 3.2 %

NYSE:VMC opened at $239.31 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a market capitalization of $31.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $225.36 and a one year high of $298.31. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $263.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $261.78.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. Sell-side 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 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 28.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VMC shares. Raymond James dropped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $304.55.

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.