Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.11 EPS

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The construction company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by ($0.11), Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.50 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.92% and a return on equity of 12.32%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.95 EPS.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance

Shares of VMC traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $264.44. 809,401 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 699,108. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $265.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.98 billion, a PE ratio of 38.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.83. Vulcan Materials has a 52-week low of $187.20 and a 52-week high of $276.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 2.74 and a quick ratio of 2.39.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This is an increase from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on VMC shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Vulcan Materials from $269.00 to $272.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $263.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. Wolfe Research cut shares of Vulcan Materials from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 8th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Vulcan Materials in a research report on Monday, January 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $208.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $264.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.08.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In related news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,992.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Stanley G. Bass sold 8,310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.68, for a total value of $2,091,460.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,376,992.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 307 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.27, for a total transaction of $78,367.89. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at $483,991.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,017 shares of company stock worth $3,344,741 in the last 90 days. 0.62% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.