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Vulcan Materials (VMC) AI Stock Analysis

VMC

Vulcan Materials

(NYSE:VMC)

Select Model
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:$290.00â–²(0.66% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:10/29/26

VMC scores as solid overall, led by strong profitability and a constructive (though not robust) earnings outlook that emphasizes continued EBITDA growth, pricing, and disciplined capital allocation. The score is held back by weaker cash flow trends (recent FCF decline and only moderate conversion), a mixed technical backdrop with longer-term trend resistance, and a premium valuation (high P/E with a low dividend yield).

Positive Factors
Strong profitabilityVulcan’s strong and improving margins indicate meaningful earnings power in its aggregates-led model. Higher profitability provides resources for maintenance, acquisitions, technology, and shareholder returns while helping the company absorb operating cost pressure over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Muted demand and lower shipmentsPersistently soft shipment trends limit volume-driven revenue growth and can reduce operating leverage across quarries and plants. A prolonged muted-demand backdrop also makes the business more dependent on pricing, project timing, and disciplined cost control to expand earnings.

Vulcan Materials Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Aggregates ShippedMeasures the volume of aggregates delivered, indicating demand for construction materials and the company’s capacity to meet market needs.

$0.00$20.00M$40.00M$60.00MMar 21Jun 21Sep 21Dec 21Mar 22Jun 22Sep 22Dec 22Mar 23Jun 23Sep 23Dec 23Mar 24Jun 24Sep 24Dec 24Mar 25Jun 25Sep 25Dec 25Mar 26Jun 26
Chart Insights

Shipments are essentially range‑bound with clear seasonality (Q2 peaks), but 2024–H1 2026 show modest sequential and year‑over‑year gains—Q2s steady and Q3 2025 notably strong—aligning with management’s call for modest 2026 volume growth driven by rising public infrastructure awards and larger project activity. Weather and soft single‑family demand keep volumes volatile and cap upside, so while tonnage supports cash flow and buybacks, sticky diesel/energy costs mean margins—not just tons—will dictate near‑term earnings performance.

Data provided by:The Fly

Vulcan Materials (VMC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-20%-15%-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%VMC-3.05%SPY+11.79%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
Market Cap
$36.44B
Dividend Yield
0.73%
Average Volume (3M)
1.14M
Price to Earnings (P/E)
33.2
Beta (1Y)
0.72
Revenue Growth
1.61%
EPS Growth
0.24%
Country
US
Employees
11,548
Sector
Basic Materials
Sector Strength
61
Industry
Construction Materials

Vulcan Materials Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Vulcan Materials Company, alongside its affiliated entities, stands as a prominent producer and distributor of construction aggregates, primarily operating within the United States. The company's activities are organized into four distinct divisions:...

How the Company Makes Money

Vulcan Materials makes money primarily by producing and selling construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel) to customers such as state and local governments (and their contractors), highway and infrastructure contractors, commercial bui...

Vulcan Materials Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Oct 28, 2026(Q3-2026)|% Change Since:8.72%|Next Earnings Date:Feb 17, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was predominantly positive. Management reported underlying EBITDA growth, margin expansion, strong cash generation, substantial shareholder returns, continued acquisition activity, disciplined cost execution, healthy public and private project opportunities, and a mid to high single-digit aggregate pricing outlook for 2027. These positives outweighed the explicitly stated challenges of lower shipments, muted demand, residential weakness, federal funding uncertainty, and approximately $120 million of expected full-year energy headwinds.

Positive Updates

Underlying EBITDA Growth and Resilient Aggregates Strategy
Adjusted EBITDA for the underlying business grew 5% in the third quarter, excluding approximately $40 million of energy cost headwinds and adjusting for prior-year divestitures. Management attributed the performance to improving organic profitability and disciplined bolt-on acquisitions within its aggregates-led strategy.

Negative Updates

Year-over-Year Shipment Decline
Aggregate shipments decreased 3% year over year in the third quarter. Management said seasonally adjusted shipment momentum was similar to the second quarter and consistent with a muted demand environment.

Company Guidance

For 2026, Vulcan expects to deliver another year of earnings growth and approximately $2.4 billion of adjusted EBITDA, despite over $100 million of energy headwinds now expected for the year; energy headwinds were later estimated at probably $120 million, volume is expected to grow very modestly, aggregates unit margin expansion is expected to yield probably 4% for the full year, mixed adjusted price is expected to remain at 5%, costs are expected to be closer to mid single digit for the full year, SAG is expected to be about $30 million lower than the initial range, and CapEx expenditures are likely to be at the lower end of the $750 million-$800 million range. Even with $120 million of energy headwinds for the year, adjusted EBITDA growth is expected to be approximately 3% or closer to 5% on a same store basis. For 2027, the demand backdrop is expected to be similar to 2026, aggregates prices are expected to grow mid to high single digits, inclusive of mix impact, and the company expects a strong opportunity for attractive unit profitability expansion, with more detail to be provided in February.

Vulcan Materials Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Strong and improving profitability (TTM gross margin ~27.4%, EBIT margin ~22.9%, net margin ~13.8% vs ~7.9% in 2022) supports a solid base score. Balance sheet leverage is manageable and improving (debt-to-equity ~0.58; ROE ~13.1%), but absolute debt remains sizable (~$4.95B). The main drag is uneven demand and cash conversion: revenue is flat to slightly down in TTM and free cash flow fell sharply (~-24% TTM) with only moderate FCF conversion (~57% of net income).

Income Statement

78Positive

Balance Sheet

74Positive

Cash Flow

67Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue8.01B7.93B7.42B7.78B7.32B5.55B
Gross Profit2.20B2.17B2.00B1.95B1.56B1.37B
EBITDA2.29B2.58B2.00B2.06B1.53B1.44B
Net Income1.10B1.08B911.90M933.20M575.60M670.80M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets16.70B16.70B17.10B14.55B14.23B13.68B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments106.60M183.30M559.70M931.10M161.40M235.00M
Total Debt5.26B5.41B5.83B4.39B4.52B4.52B
Total Liabilities8.27B8.15B8.96B7.04B7.28B7.11B
Stockholders Equity8.41B8.53B8.12B7.48B6.93B6.54B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow781.20M1.14B806.10M664.20M535.60M560.60M
Operating Cash Flow1.51B1.81B1.41B1.54B1.15B1.01B
Investing Cash Flow-322.90M-529.20M-2.81B-163.50M-1.05B-1.87B
Financing Cash Flow-1.21B-1.70B1.06B-585.60M-175.20M-94.30M

Vulcan Materials Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price288.10

Price Trends

50DMA255.71Positive
100DMA271.74Positive
200DMA279.46Positive

Market Momentum

MACD5.95Negative
RSI72.96Negative
STOCH78.68Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For VMC, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 288.10 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 256.74, above the 50-day MA of 255.71, and above the 200-day MA of 279.46, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 5.95 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 72.96 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 78.68 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for VMC.

Vulcan Materials Risk Analysis

Vulcan Materials disclosed 23 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Vulcan Materials reported the most risks in the "Legal & Regulatory" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Legal & Regulatory - Litigation, compliance, new legislation, and taxation risks

Latest Risks Added

0 New Risks

Vulcan Materials Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)

Financial Indicators

VMC against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
MLMMLM77Outperform$38.38B13.2523.11%0.62%0.06%125.23%
CRHCRH70Outperform$60.41B17.0014.87%1.70%5.58%5.51%
CXCX69Neutral$16.29B25.434.87%1.00%9.60%-55.05%
VMCVMC69Neutral$36.10B33.2013.04%0.73%1.61%0.24%
EXPEXP62Neutral$5.63B14.4426.87%0.54%1.68%-7.06%
Sector *61Neutral$10.43B7.12-0.05%2.87%2.86%-36.73%
KNFKNF55Neutral$3.26B23.378.72%―12.13%-8.86%

* Basic Materials Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-20%0%20%40%VMCCXEXPMLMCRHKNFDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
VMC and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
VMCVulcan Materials Company281.25-5.16-1.80%
CXCemex Sab De Cv10.700.656.43%
EXPEagle Materials183.64-21.14-10.32%
MLMMartin Marietta Materials540.41-75.43-12.25%
CRHCRH (CRH)90.81-25.88-22.18%
KNFKnife River Corporation57.50-3.61-5.91%

Vulcan Materials Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

Vulcan Materials Announces Senior Operations Leader Retirement

Neutral
Oct 22, 2026

On October 19, 2026, Vulcan Materials Company announced that David P. Clement, its Senior Vice President of Operations Support and Procurement, notified the company of his intention to retire in the first quarter of 2027. The planned leadership trans...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Oct 29, 2026