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. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. 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 −27% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
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.
Successful expansion into new geographic markets and high demand for urban renewal.
A prolonged economic recession significantly reducing construction activity.
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 34 - big growth is already priced in
- Provides essential materials that are difficult to replace
- Strong profit margins suggest efficient operations
- Benefits from long-term government infrastructure commitments
- Momentum screens low (14/100)
- 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
What do Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.6% a year (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.
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.
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.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| 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 →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Corteva, Inc.What are the scenarios for Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — 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
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.