Top 500 Daily Volume Leader VMC Surges 2.33% as Principal Global Investors Passively Holds 5.2% Stake Amid $2300 Backtest Profit and 15.7% Drawdown

On August 12, 2025, Vulcan Materials (VMC) rose 2.33% to $288.75, with a trading volume of $0.30 billion. A Schedule 13G filing revealed Principal Global Investors holds 6.89 million shares (5.2% of outstanding stock) in VMC, indicating shared voting and dispositive power. The filing, certified as passive, states the stake was acquired for ordinary business purposes and not to influence control. The position was reported on June 30, 2025, with the filing signed August 8, 2025.

The stake, held by an investment adviser organized in Delaware, underscores institutional interest but lacks sole voting authority. Analysts note that while the 5.2% ownership is material for transparency, the shared voting structure limits immediate governance risks. However, future coordinated actions or additional filings could alter the dynamics, necessitating ongoing monitoring of proxy engagements and voting patterns.

Backtest results for a strategy involving the top 500 stocks by daily volume from 2022 to present show a total profit of $2,300. The maximum drawdown reached -15.7% in early 2023, highlighting the strategy’s volatility. This suggests that while volume-driven trading can yield returns, it carries significant short-term risks, as demonstrated by the February 2023 downturn.