Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Acquires 71 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 11,334 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the 3rd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $57,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 2.1 %

NYSE:VMC opened at $245.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.82, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.84. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $225.36 and a 52 week high of $298.31. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $264.63 and a 200 day moving average of $261.54.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $325.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $304.55.

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.