Jefferies Financial Group Raises Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Price Target to $319.00

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) had its price target raised by Jefferies Financial Group from $298.00 to $319.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the construction company’s stock.

VMC has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, January 8th. They set an equal weight rating and a $208.00 price target for the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $236.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Raymond James upped their target price on Vulcan Materials from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $273.00.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of VMC opened at $252.06 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Vulcan Materials has a 12 month low of $166.43 and a 12 month high of $276.58. The firm has a market cap of $33.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.11, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.83. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $263.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.18.

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

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total transaction of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total value of $78,367.89. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $483,991.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,017 shares of company stock valued at $3,344,741 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strs Ohio lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 74,103 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $16,822,000 after acquiring an additional 4,412 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 50.6% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 32,713 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $7,384,000 after purchasing an additional 10,991 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 17,706.3% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 47,899 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $10,874,000 after purchasing an additional 47,630 shares in the last quarter. Smith Salley & Associates acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,185,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. raised its position in Vulcan Materials by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 205,506 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $46,652,000 after purchasing an additional 16,942 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Company 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.