MQS Management LLC Makes New Investment in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 3,770 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $880,000. Vulcan Materials makes up approximately 0.5% of MQS Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 21.0% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 951 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 42.1% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,798 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,686,000 after buying an additional 4,678 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 24.3% in the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 921 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $215,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 27.2% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $398,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 969 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $268.60 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $265.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $256.37. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $215.08 and a 1-year high of $298.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.50% and a return on equity of 12.91%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.80 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is presently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VMC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $273.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Stephens set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Argus raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $287.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $302.91.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $405,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 2,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $764,640. The trade was a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.