Wellington Management Group LLP Boosts Stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 5.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 969 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $249,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Trading Up 0.5 %

VMC opened at $243.52 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $243.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $259.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. Vulcan Materials has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. 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 12.83%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $298.00.

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.