Analysts Set Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Target Price at $303.08

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $303.08.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on VMC shares. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $287.00 target price for the company. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $298.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC stock opened at $227.18 on Monday. Vulcan Materials has a fifty-two week low of $215.08 and a fifty-two 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 firm has a market capitalization of $30.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.16, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $259.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $260.80.

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, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.85 billion for 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, equities analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vulcan Materials

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.