Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $319.9231.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on VMC shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Vulcan Materials to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. B. Riley assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $345.00 price objective on the stock. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $327.00 price target on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

NYSE VMC opened at $299.82 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $295.59 and its 200-day moving average is $291.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market capitalization of $39.61 billion, a PE ratio of 35.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.06. Vulcan Materials has a 12-month low of $215.08 and a 12-month high of $313.37.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.72 by $0.12. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The business had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.81, for a total value of $2,146,279.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.55, for a total value of $577,100.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $240,073.60. This trade represents a 70.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 20,471 shares of company stock valued at $6,054,615. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vulcan Materials

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VMC. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 86.3% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 95 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

About Vulcan Materials

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.