Syon Capital LLC Sells 285 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC)

Syon Capital LLC lowered its stake in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) by 11.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,134 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 285 shares during the period. Syon Capital LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $549,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 138.5% in the 4th 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, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 30.0% in the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 208 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Vulcan Materials Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $249.58 on Friday. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $298.31. The company has a market capitalization of $33.01 billion, a PE ratio of 36.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.80. 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 has a fifty day moving average of $239.39 and a 200-day moving average of $259.37.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last issued its 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 return on equity of 12.83% and a net margin of 12.30%. The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on VMC shares. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Vulcan Materials to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Raymond James decreased 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. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $273.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. UBS Group lowered shares of Vulcan Materials from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $343.00 to $258.00 in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $293.64.

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.