Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Shares Sold by Mackenzie Financial Corp

Mackenzie Financial Corp trimmed its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 54,381 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 4,847 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $12,345,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. lifted its position in Vulcan Materials by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 3,248 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $656,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 2.7% during the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,008 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $406,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLC grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 20,255 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,598,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,269 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on VMC. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $264.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up previously from $245.00) on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $273.00.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $252.06 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a market cap of $33.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.11, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.83. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $263.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $232.95. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $166.43 and a 52 week high of $276.58.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The construction company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.06. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.99% and a return on equity of 12.80%. The business had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.08 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.73%. This is a boost from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Insider Transactions at Vulcan Materials

In related news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total transaction of $862,336.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 5,395 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,453,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,376,992.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.48, for a total transaction of $862,336.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,453,844.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,017 shares of company stock valued at $3,344,741 over the last three months. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.