Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $258.01 and traded as high as $260.28. Vulcan Materials shares last traded at $257.23, with a volume of 389,209 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VMC shares. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Barclays lifted their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price objective for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $288.08.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $275.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $257.99. The firm has a market cap of $33.96 billion, a PE ratio of 40.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.34 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.01 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 11.43%. Vulcan Materials’s quarterly revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.29 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 7.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 4th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vulcan Materials

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials by 22.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,341 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 284.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 44,650 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $11,104,000 after acquiring an additional 33,051 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp grew its position in Vulcan Materials by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 21,619 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,415,000 after acquiring an additional 3,615 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 185.0% in the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 21,661 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,425,000 after purchasing an additional 14,061 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

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.