Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Downgraded to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on VMC. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $316.00 to $296.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $317.00 to $315.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.64.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $304.76 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 1 year low of $215.08 and a 1 year high of $331.09. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $302.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $296.59. The company has a market cap of $40.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.53, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.41). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The business had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.17 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Denson N. Franklin III sold 665 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.00, for a total value of $196,175.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,443,780. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, President Thompson S. Baker II sold 7,135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Company Profile

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.