Returns Depend on Margin Stability
Slightly overvaluedDCF
Equity analysis

Vulcan Materials Co (VMC) Returns Depend on Margin Stability

May 24, 2026Equity Analysis

Is this price assuming better capital returns than the business earns?

Trailing P/E
29.94
Price
260.65
ROE
13.05
Gross Margin
27.68

Is this a core materials supplier?

Vulcan Materials is a construction materials company focused on aggregates and related building materials. It supplies inputs used across infrastructure and broader construction activity. The business sells largely into project-driven demand where logistics and local supply matter. At today’s scale, it sits as a large public operator in the US construction supply chain.

Are margins and returns holding steady?

Fundamentals

For 2025, reported in USD, revenue was USD 7.9 billion, up 7.1% year over year. Profitability indicators over the trailing twelve months show a 27.68% gross margin, a 20.57% operating margin, and a 13.81% net margin.

The capital picture in the latest filing shows USD 748.5 million of depreciation and amortization and USD 52.4 million of capital spending, with cash at USD 183.3 million and total debt reported at USD 400,000. Trailing ROE sits at 13.05%, framing the return profile investors are currently paying for.

Is the stock priced for strong returns?

DCF / Multiples

At USD 260.65, the stock sits above the central DCF estimate of USD 218.88, while still below the upper-end outcome of USD 315.08 and well above the lower scenario of USD 135.06. The headline multiples—29.94x trailing earnings and 15.79x EV/EBITDA—place the current price in a relatively demanding part of the valuation spectrum versus the DCF midpoint.

Valuation Relies on Steady Returns

Takeaway

The stock price leans on sustained, decent returns on equity. That stance is harder to defend if returns fade. Margins need to hold up to keep capital returns acceptable. If returns slip, the valuation has less room to absorb it.

Disclaimer
This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
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INDEX
VDIX
ValueDetect Intrinsic eXpectations Index
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VDIX measures whether the market is expensive or cheap relative to intrinsic value. For each company, ValueDetect estimates fair value using a discounted cash flow (DCF) model, then compares it with the current share price to derive a RiskRatio. These signals are capped, weighted by market capitalization, and aggregated into a single market-wide score.

Current score-0.82Negative = market trades above fair value
1-day move-0.13Rising score = improving valuation conditions
7-day average-0.68Smoothed market valuation signal
Latest observation03 June 2026The latest weighted reading suggests that the market is trading above DCF-based intrinsic value in aggregate.
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