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Vulcan Materials (VMC) AI Stock Analysis
Vulcan Materials
(NYSE:VMC)
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).
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.
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.
Vulcan Materials (VMC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- 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
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.
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
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
78PositiveBalance Sheet
74PositiveCash Flow
67Positive| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 8.01B | 7.93B | 7.42B | 7.78B | 7.32B | 5.55B |
| Gross Profit | 2.20B | 2.17B | 2.00B | 1.95B | 1.56B | 1.37B |
| EBITDA | 2.29B | 2.58B | 2.00B | 2.06B | 1.53B | 1.44B |
| Net Income | 1.10B | 1.08B | 911.90M | 933.20M | 575.60M | 670.80M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 16.70B | 16.70B | 17.10B | 14.55B | 14.23B | 13.68B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 106.60M | 183.30M | 559.70M | 931.10M | 161.40M | 235.00M |
| Total Debt | 5.26B | 5.41B | 5.83B | 4.39B | 4.52B | 4.52B |
| Total Liabilities | 8.27B | 8.15B | 8.96B | 7.04B | 7.28B | 7.11B |
| Stockholders Equity | 8.41B | 8.53B | 8.12B | 7.48B | 6.93B | 6.54B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 781.20M | 1.14B | 806.10M | 664.20M | 535.60M | 560.60M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 1.51B | 1.81B | 1.41B | 1.54B | 1.15B | 1.01B |
| Investing Cash Flow | -322.90M | -529.20M | -2.81B | -163.50M | -1.05B | -1.87B |
| Financing Cash Flow | -1.21B | -1.70B | 1.06B | -585.60M | -175.20M | -94.30M |
Vulcan Materials Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
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.
Latest Risks Added
0 New RisksVulcan Materials Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
MLM77Outperform
CRH70Outperform
CX69Neutral
VMC69Neutral
EXP62Neutral
KNF55Neutral
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77Outperform | $38.38B | 13.25 | 23.11% | 0.62% | 0.06% | 125.23% | |
| 70Outperform | $60.41B | 17.00 | 14.87% | 1.70% | 5.58% | 5.51% | |
| 69Neutral | $16.29B | 25.43 | 4.87% | 1.00% | 9.60% | -55.05% | |
| 69Neutral | $36.10B | 33.20 | 13.04% | 0.73% | 1.61% | 0.24% | |
| 62Neutral | $5.63B | 14.44 | 26.87% | 0.54% | 1.68% | -7.06% | |
| Sector * | 61Neutral | $10.43B | 7.12 | -0.05% | 2.87% | 2.86% | -36.73% |
| 55Neutral | $3.26B | 23.37 | 8.72% | ― | 12.13% | -8.86% |
* Basic Materials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VMC | Vulcan Materials Company | 281.25 | -5.16 | -1.80% | |
| CX | Cemex Sab De Cv | 10.70 | 0.65 | 6.43% | |
| EXP | Eagle Materials | 183.64 | -21.14 | -10.32% | |
| MLM | Martin Marietta Materials | 540.41 | -75.43 | -12.25% | |
| CRH | CRH (CRH) | 90.81 | -25.88 | -22.18% | |
| KNF | Knife River Corporation | 57.50 | -3.61 | -5.91% |
Vulcan Materials Corporate Events
Vulcan Materials Announces Senior Operations Leader Retirement
NeutralOn 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...
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