Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.41 EPS

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 13.01%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $264.84 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $34.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $267.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.46. The company has a current ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $225.36 and a 12 month high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. This is an increase 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 26.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 target price for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $303.82.

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.