Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc Purchases 466 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 41.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,581 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 466 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $406,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VMC. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 240.4% in the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 160 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $252.68 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $33.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.89, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $266.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $261.66.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.41. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 12.83%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. 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 payout ratio is presently 26.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VMC. 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 report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com raised shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.00.

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.