Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM)
Martin Marietta Materials is a major American supplier of the heavy-duty building blocks—like crushed stone, sand, and gravel—that form the backbone of our roads and cities.
Is Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Provides essential materials that are difficult to replace. Worth weighing: Business is highly dependent on the cyclical nature of construction.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. do?
Think of this company as the bedrock of the construction industry; they mine and process the raw materials needed for everything from motorways to skyscrapers. Profits come from selling these essential supplies to contractors and government agencies for large-scale infrastructure projects. The main thing to keep an eye on is how much government spending goes into public works, as this is the primary engine that keeps their quarries busy.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and quality, and weakest on momentum.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 0.6% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 21% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 37% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 36 - big growth is already priced in
- —
- Momentum screens low
Does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.6% a year, which is £6.00 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.'s dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 1 Jun 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
Does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $112.00M in cash against about $6.34B of debt - so it has net debt of about $6.23B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. fell as much as −29% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-03 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-30 | $4.76 | $5.00 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-04-30 | $1.83 | $1.93 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-02-11 | $4.98 | $4.62 | Missed -7% |
| 2025-11-04 | $6.70 | $6.85 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-08-07 | $5.26 | $5.43 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-04-30 | $1.88 | $1.90 | Beat +1% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Successful expansion into new geographic markets and high demand for urban renewal.
A prolonged economic recession significantly reducing construction activity.
What are the pros and cons of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Provides essential materials that are difficult to replace
- Strong profit margins suggest efficient operations
- Benefits from long-term government infrastructure commitments
- Business is highly dependent on the cyclical: A business whose sales and profits rise and fall with the wider economy - booming in good times, sinking in downturns. Miners, carmakers and banks are classic examples. nature of construction
- High sensitivity to fuel and energy costs
- Low dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone. may not appeal to income-focused investors
- Economic downturns often lead to cuts in public spending
- Rising interest rates can make borrowing for construction projects more expensive
- Environmental regulations could increase the cost of operating quarries
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant, sustained drop in government infrastructure spending
- A major shift in building technology that reduces the need for traditional stone and gravel
Common questions about Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
Does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.6% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. report earnings next?
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-03. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Ecolab Inc.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.