Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

, /PRNewswire/ -- Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: SSD), an industry leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, today announced that on May 6, 2026, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") declared a regular quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share on the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on July 23, 2026, to stockholders of record on July 2, 2026.

About Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. 
Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, California, through its subsidiaries, including Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., designs, engineers and is a leading manufacturer of wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shear walls, and concrete construction products, including adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, powder actuated tools and reinforcing fiber materials. The Company primarily supplies its building product solutions to both the residential and commercial markets in North America and Europe. The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SSD."

CONTACT:
Addo Investor Relations
[email protected]
(310) 829-5400

SOURCE Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc.

On June 09, 2026, Simpson Manufacturing Co Inc (SSD) shares rose 4.0% today, closing at $193.20. The stock has seen a 52-week range of $151.38 to $211.98, refle

MU's NAND revenues surge on AI-driven data center SSD demand, as disciplined supply and advanced SSD launches bolster its storage growth outlook.

US Foods (USFD - Free Report) could be a solid addition to your portfolio given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). An upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices -- has triggered this rating change.

A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.

Since a changing earnings picture is a powerful factor influencing near-term stock price movements, the Zacks rating system is very useful for individual investors. They may find it difficult to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, as these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time.

As such, the Zacks rating upgrade for US Foods is essentially a positive comment on its earnings outlook that could have a favorable impact on its stock price.

Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, has proven to be strongly correlated with the near-term price movement of its stock. That's partly because of the influence of institutional investors that use earnings and earnings estimates for calculating the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.

For US Foods, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade fundamentally mean an improvement in the company's underlying business. And investors' appreciation of this improving business trend should push the stock higher.

Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsAs empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, tracking such revisions for making an investment decision could be truly rewarding. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.

The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Earnings Estimate Revisions for US FoodsThis company is expected to earn $4.81 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2026, which represents no year-over-year change.

Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for US Foods. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 4.1%.

Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.

You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>

The upgrade of US Foods to a Zacks Rank #2 positions it in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 25th, 2026

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW – Get Free Report) and US Foods (NYSE:USFD – Get Free Report) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Institutional and Insider Ownership 89.6% of Lamb Weston shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.8% of US Foods shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Lamb Weston shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of US Foods shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation This table compares Lamb Weston and US Foods”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Lamb Weston $6.45 billion 0.95 $357.20 million $2.14 20.72 US Foods $39.42 billion 0.52 $676.00 million $2.94 31.74 US Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Lamb Weston. Lamb Weston is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than US Foods, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability This table compares Lamb Weston and US Foods’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Lamb Weston 4.61% 23.77% 5.76% US Foods 1.71% 18.74% 6.09% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Lamb Weston and US Foods, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Lamb Weston 1 9 3 0 2.15 US Foods 0 3 10 0 2.77 Lamb Weston presently has a consensus price target of $48.00, indicating a potential upside of 8.24%. US Foods has a consensus price target of $107.33, indicating a potential upside of 15.03%. Given US Foods’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe US Foods is more favorable than Lamb Weston.

Risk and Volatility Lamb Weston has a beta of 0.49, suggesting that its share price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, US Foods has a beta of 0.98, suggesting that its share price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary US Foods beats Lamb Weston on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Lamb Weston (Get Free Report)

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. produces, distributes, and markets frozen potato products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. It offers frozen potatoes, commercial ingredients, and appetizers under the Lamb Weston brand, as well as under various customer labels. The company also provides its products under its owned or licensed brands, such as Grown in Idaho and Alexia, and other licensed brands, as well as under retailers' own brands. In addition, it engages in the vegetable and dairy businesses. The company sells its products through a network of internal sales personnel and independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain restaurants, wholesale, grocery, mass merchants, club and specialty retailers, businesses, educational institutions, independent restaurants, regional chain restaurants, and convenience stores. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1950 and is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho.

About US Foods (Get Free Report)

US Foods Holding Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in marketing, sale, and distribution of fresh, frozen, and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers in the United States. The company's customers include independently owned single and multi-unit restaurants, regional concepts, national restaurant chains, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and motels, country clubs, government and military organizations, colleges and universities, and retail locations. The company was formerly known as USF Holding Corp. and changed its name to US Foods Holding Corp. in February 2016. US Foods Holding Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.

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ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #USFoods--US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD), one of America's largest foodservice distributors, today announced the launch of US Foods SIGNATURE™, a new comprehensive program designed to help hospitality operators across four hospitality operation types: hotel and lodging, casino and gaming, banquets and catering, and entertainment venues, reduce operational waste, improve staff efficiency for labor savings and elevate the guest experience. Building upon the company's i.

Expense ratios, dividend yields, and portfolio composition reveal key differences between these two value-focused iShares funds.

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From Blocked Merger to Independent Operator US Foods (NYSE: USFD | USFD Price Prediction) hit public markets in May 2016 after the FTC blocked its proposed sale to Sysco the prior year. What started as a fallback plan turned into a decade of building. The Rosemont, Illinois-based distributor now serves roughly 250,000 customer locations through more than 70 broadline distribution centers and over 90 cash-and-carry stores, with about 30,000 associates handling roughly $39.4 billion in annual sales.

The story since the IPO has three chapters. First, steady share gains with independent restaurants. Second, a brutal pandemic shock that crushed restaurant volumes and the stock. Third, a sharp rebound under CEO Dave Flitman, anchored by the CHEF’STORE acquisition in 2020 and recent broadline tuck-ins like Jake’s Finer Foods in Houston and Shetakis in Las Vegas. Management is now exploring a sale of the CHEF’STORE cash-and-carry business to focus on core distribution.

$1,000 Invested at IPO Is Now $3,690 In the following table, investment date assumes the first available trading price after IPO. The starting investment in US Foods in each period is $1,000.

Time Period Total Return Ending Value S&P 500 Return 1 Year 34.3% $1,343.20 28.5% 3 Years 138.8% $2,388.40 75.5% 5 Years 129.1% $2,290.80 71.5% Since IPO (May 2016) 269.1% $3,690.50 245.8% Roughly tripling your money over a decade is solid, and it outperforms the S&P 500’s run over the same span. The shape of the journey matters: shares cratered in early 2020 as restaurants closed, and patient holders had to stomach years of choppy recovery. The real outperformance occurred over the past three years, as US Foods surged when margins finally inflected.

FY2025 cemented the turn: revenue of $39.42 billion (+4.08%), net income of $676 million (+36.84%), and adjusted diluted EPS of $3.98. The company pays no dividend but announced a fresh $1 billion buyback in November 2025.

The Bull Case, With One Eye on the Consumer The bull case rests on Flitman delivering his 20% adjusted EPS CAGR through 2027, and it is straightforward: 19 consecutive quarters of independent restaurant growth, 2026 guidance calling for 18% to 24% adjusted EPS growth, and a forward P/E around 31 that looks reasonable for that trajectory.

The bear case hinges on whether consumer spending is weakening. Chain volume fell 3.4% in Q4, GLP-1 adoption is a real demand overhang, and $4.6 billion of debt limits flexibility in a downturn. Revenue has missed estimates in four of the past six quarters, even as EPS beats pile up.

The execution has been consistent, and the buyback provides a floor.

US Foods (USFD - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.78 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.82 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.68 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -4.59%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $1 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.04, delivering a surprise of +4%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

US Foods, which belongs to the Zacks Food - Miscellaneous industry, posted revenues of $9.61 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $9.35 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

US Foods shares have added about 22.2% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 7.6%.

What's Next for US Foods?While US Foods has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for US Foods was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.40 on $10.53 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.79 on $41.57 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Food - Miscellaneous is currently in the bottom 18% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, Laird Superfood, Inc. (LSF - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 14.

This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.08 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -300%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Laird Superfood, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $14.5 million, up 24.5% from the year-ago quarter.

US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) announced today that Dave Flitman, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Dirk Locascio, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Deutsche Bank Access Global Consumer Conference on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. CDT or 2:00 p.m. CEST. Media and investors can listen to a live audio webcast by visiting the Investor Relations page of the company's website at https://ir.usfoods.com/ev.

ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #CSR--US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) – one of America's leading foodservice distributors – announced today the release of the company's 2025 Sustainability Report. Within the comprehensive report, US Foods highlights progress across its Exclusive Brands product offerings, support for associates and communities, and initiatives to minimize the environmental impact of its operations and supply chain. “I am proud of the progress we've made on our sustainability jour.

US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD) Presents at 23rd annual dbAccess Global Consumer Conference Transcript

Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, May 1

Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) : This education services company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 5.8% over the last 60 days.

Strategic Education has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 11.09 compared with 16.40 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Scoreof A.

Global Partners LP (GLP - Free Report) : This energy marketing and logistics company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 10.8% over the last 60 days.

Global Partners has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 14.89 compared with 94.70 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Enova International, Inc. (ENVA - Free Report) : This technology and analytics company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.1% over the last 60 days.

Enova has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 10.26 compared with 11.80 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

Learn more about the Value score and how it is calculated here.

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At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. This dedication to giving investors a trading advantage led to the creation of our proven Zacks Rank stock-rating system. Since 1988 it has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +24.00% per year. These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through May 4, 2026. Zacks Rank stock-rating system returns are computed monthly based on the beginning of the month and end of the month Zacks Rank stock prices plus any dividends received during that particular month. A simple, equally-weighted average return of all Zacks Rank stocks is calculated to determine the monthly return. The monthly returns are then compounded to arrive at the annual return. Only Zacks Rank stocks included in Zacks hypothetical portfolios at the beginning of each month are included in the return calculations. Zacks Ranks stocks can, and often do, change throughout the month. Certain Zacks Rank stocks for which no month-end price was available, pricing information was not collected, or for certain other reasons have been excluded from these return calculations. Zacks may license the Zacks Mutual Fund rating provided herein to third parties, including but not limited to the issuer.

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Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.

Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive earnings surprises.

Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.

The core of the ESP model is comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the resulting percentage difference between the two equals the Expected Surprise Prediction. The Zacks Rank is also factored into the ESP metric to better help find companies that appear poised to top their next bottom-line consensus estimate, which will hopefully help lift the stock price.

Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Lululemon?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Lululemon (LULU - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.70 a share, just 30 days from its upcoming earnings release on June 4, 2026.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.70 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.69 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Lululemon has an Earnings ESP of +0.47%. Investors should also know that LULU is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

LULU is part of a big group of Consumer Discretionary stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Strategic Education (STRA - Free Report) as well.

Slated to report earnings on July 29, 2026, Strategic Education holds a #2 (Buy) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and its Most Accurate Estimate is $1.81 a share 85 days from its next quarterly update.

For Strategic Education, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.77 is +2.26%.

LULU and STRA's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Workforce Edge announced its partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Key Takeaways NEXA has a 59.9% average earnings surprise, and shares surged 182.6% over the past year.AVT consensus sees 20.7% sales growth and 48.8% EPS growth this financial year.USANA Health consensus calls for 2.1% sales growth and 9.8% EPS growth; shares fell 37% past year. The U.S. stock market closed higher yesterday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 276.31 points, or 0.55%, to finish at 50,285.66. Broader indexes followed suit, with the S&P 500 rising 0.17% to 7,445.72, while the Nasdaq Composite increased 22.74 points to close at 26,293.10. The rally was supported by a retreat in oil prices, strength in semiconductor and AI-related stocks and a calmer global risk sentiment as investors tracked progress in U.S.-Iran talks.

Against this backdrop, value stocks present an appealing opportunity. When evaluating value stocks, one of the most effective valuation metrics is the Price-to-Cash Flow (P/CF) ratio. This metric measures a stock's market price relative to the cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. A lower P/CF ratio indicates that the stock is trading at a better value, offering strong cash generation potential relative to its price.

Companies — Nexa Resources S.A. (NEXA - Free Report) , Avnet, Inc. (AVT - Free Report) , Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) and USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (USNA - Free Report) — boast a low P/CF ratio.

Price to Cash Flow Reflects Financial HealthYou must be wondering why we consider the P/CF valuation metric when the most widely used valuation metric is Price/Earnings (or P/E). An important factor that makes P/CF a highly dependable metric is that operating cash flow adds back non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization to net income, truly diagnosing a company’s financial health.

Analysts caution that a company’s earnings are subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. Then again, cash flow is quite reliable. Net cash flow unveils how much money a company generates and how effectively management is deploying the same.

Positive cash flow indicates an increase in the company’s liquid assets. This gives the company the means to settle debt, meet its expenses, reinvest in the business, endure downturns and finally undertake shareholder-friendly moves. Negative cash flow implies a decline in the company’s liquidity, which, in turn, lowers its flexibility to support these endeavors.

What’s the Best Value Investing Strategy?An investment decision based solely on the P/CF metric may not yield the desired results. To identify stocks that are trading at a discount, you should expand your search criteria and also consider the price-to-book ratio, price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-sales ratio. Adding a favorable Zacks Rank and a Value Score of A or B to your search criteria should lead to even better results as these eliminate the chance of falling into a value trap.

Here are the parameters for selecting true-value stocks:

P/CF less than or equal to X-Industry Median.

Price greater than or equal to 5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

Average 20-Day Volume greater than 100,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stock is easily tradable.

P/E using (F1) less than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter shortlists stocks that are trading at a discount or are equal to their peers.

P/B less than or equal to X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that there is enough room for the stock to gain.

P/S less than or equal to X-Industry Median: The P/S ratio determines how a stock price compares to the company’s sales — the lower the ratio, the more attractive the stock is.

PEG less than 1: The ratio is used to determine a stock's value by taking the company's earnings growth into account. The PEG ratio gives a more complete picture than the P/E ratio. A value of less than 1 indicates that the stock is undervalued and that investors need to pay less for a stock that has robust earnings growth prospects.

Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform irrespective of the market environment.

Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Style Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.

Here are four out of the 15 value stocks that qualified the screening:

Nexa Resources, a large-scale, low-cost, integrated polymetallic producer, sports a Zacks Rank #1. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 59.9%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nexa Resources’ current financial-year sales and EPS implies growth of 14.6% and 214.1%, respectively, from the year-ago period. NEXA has a Value Score of A. Shares of NEXA have soared 182.6% over the past year.

Avnet, a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.5%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Avnet’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 20.7% and 48.8%, respectively, from the year-ago period. AVT has a Value Score of A. Shares of AVT have surged 67.7% over the past year.

Strategic Education, which provides education services, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.2%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Strategic Education’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 2% and 16.5%, respectively, from the year-ago period. STRA has a Value Score of A. Shares of STRA have fallen 10% over the past year.

USANA Health, which develops and manufactures high-quality nutritional supplements, functional foods and personal care products, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30.5%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for USANA Health’s current financial-year sales and EPS calls for growth of 2.1% and 9.8%, respectively, from the year-ago period. USNA has a Value Score of A. Shares of USNA have declined 37% over the past year.

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sophia Learning announces a new partnership with American International College (AIC).

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Strategic Education (STRA - Free Report) Strategic Education, Inc. or SEI, through its subsidiaries Strayer University and New York Code and Design Academy (NYCDA), provides a range of post-secondary education and other academic programs in the United States. NYCDA is a New York City-based provider of web and application software development courses.

STRA is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.02; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.23 to $7.20 per share. STRA boasts an average earnings surprise of +11.2%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, STRA should be on investors' short list.

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While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is Strategic Education (STRA - Free Report) . STRA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

We should also highlight that STRA has a P/B ratio of 1.18. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 3.15. STRA's P/B has been as high as 1.53 and as low as 1.06, with a median of 1.26, over the past year.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. STRA has a P/S ratio of 1.43. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.46.

Finally, investors should note that STRA has a P/CF ratio of 12.00. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. STRA's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 20.03. Within the past 12 months, STRA's P/CF has been as high as 15.87 and as low as 10.81, with a median of 12.87.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Strategic Education's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, STRA looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Vulcan Materials (VMC - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis construction materials company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.13 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +13%.

Revenues are expected to be $1.67 billion, up 2.1% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.46% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Vulcan?For Vulcan, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +14.74%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that Vulcan will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Vulcan would post earnings of $2.13 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.70, delivering a surprise of -20.19%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Vulcan appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 27th, 2026

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC – Get Free Report) is expected to announce its Q1 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 29th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.15 per share and revenue of $1.6467 billion for the quarter. Interested persons may review the information on the company’s upcoming Q1 2026 earning report for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The construction company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.41). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 13.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The business had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.17 EPS. Vulcan Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Vulcan Materials to post $9 EPS for the current fiscal year and $10 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:VMC opened at $292.21 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $285.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $293.07. Vulcan Materials has a 52 week low of $241.91 and a 52 week high of $331.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.99, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.10.

Vulcan Materials Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Vulcan Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 25.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Melissa H. Anderson sold 1,137 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.72, for a total transaction of $345,329.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 30.4% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 266 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth VMC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. B. Riley Financial started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $345.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $324.08.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Vulcan Materials

About Vulcan Materials (Get Free Report)

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.

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Solid First Quarter Execution Drives Earnings Growth and Margin Expansion

Company Reaffirms Full Year Earnings Outlook

, /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC), the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. 

Financial Highlights Include:

First Quarter

Trailing-Twelve Months

Amounts in millions, except per unit data

2026

2025

2026

2025

Total revenues

$     1,756

$     1,635

$     8,062

$     7,507

Gross profit

$        423

$        365

$     2,232

$     2,060

Selling, Administrative and General (SAG)

$        136

$        138

$        562

$        540

As % of Total revenues

7.7 %

8.5 %

7.0 %

7.2 %

Net earnings attributable to Vulcan

$        165

$        129

$     1,113

$        938

Adjusted EBITDA

$        447

$        411

$     2,360

$     2,145

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

25.5 %

25.1 %

29.3 %

28.6 %

Earnings attributable to Vulcan from
     continuing operations per diluted share

$       1.27

$       0.98

$       8.45

$       7.11

Adjusted earnings attributable to Vulcan from
     continuing operations per diluted share

$       1.35

$       1.00

$       8.34

$       7.73

Aggregates segment

Shipments (tons)

50.0

47.8

229.0

219.5

Freight-adjusted sales price per ton

$     22.80

$     22.03

$     22.15

$     21.39

Gross profit per ton

$       8.01

$       7.48

$       8.77

$       8.52

Cash gross profit per ton

$     10.93

$     10.63

$     11.38

$     10.99

Ronnie Pruitt, Vulcan Materials' Chief Executive Officer, said, "The combination of our advantaged aggregates-led business and consistent focus on our strategic disciplines resulted in Adjusted EBITDA growth of 9 percent and margin expansion in the first quarter.  Our strategy and execution, enhanced by innovation and technology, position us well to deliver strong earnings growth and cash generation.  With this focus, and the financial strength and flexibility to grow, we will continue to drive sustainable value creation and win the future in aggregates." 

Segment Results

Aggregates
Segment gross profit increased 12 percent to $400 million ($8.01 per ton), and gross profit margin expanded 90 basis points to 27.6 percent.  Widespread pricing growth and effective cost control from operational execution drove cash gross profit per ton to $10.93.

As compared to the prior year, first quarter aggregates shipments increased 5 percent, supported by large projects and continued growth in public construction activity, as well as more typical weather in some markets.  Shipments in the prior year's first quarter were impacted by severe winter weather conditions.

Price increases effective at the beginning of the year resulted in widespread pricing growth across the Company's footprint.  Freight-adjusted selling prices increased 4 percent on a mix-adjusted basis (3.5 percent, or $0.77 per ton, on a reported basis) as compared to the prior year's first quarter.  Consistent with expectations, freight-adjusted unit cash cost of sales increased 4 percent, or $0.47 per ton, over the prior year.  

Asphalt and Concrete
Non-aggregates segment gross profit in the first quarter was $22 million, and cash gross profit was $38 million.  Asphalt gross profit margin improved sharply compared to the prior year's first quarter.  Shipments increased 2 percent, and price improved 3 percent.  First quarter results in the prior year included the Company's Houston asphalt and construction business that was divested in the fourth quarter of 2025.  Gross profit margin in the Concrete segment expanded to 5 percent.  First quarter results included the Company's California ready-mixed concrete business.  The disposition of these assets is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to final regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Selling, Administrative and General (SAG)

SAG expense in the quarter was $136 million, 2 percent lower than the prior year and 80 basis points lower as a percentage of revenue.  On a trailing-twelve months basis, SAG expense as a percent of total revenues was 7.0 percent and 20 basis points lower than the prior year. 

Financial Position, Liquidity and Capital Allocation

The Company remains well positioned for continued growth with a strong liquidity position and balance sheet profile.  As of March 31, 2026, the ratio of total debt to trailing-twelve months Adjusted EBITDA was 1.9 times and below the Company's target range of 2.0 to 2.5 times.  On a trailing-twelve months basis, return on average invested capital was 16.0 percent.

Capital expenditures for maintenance and growth projects were $90 million in the first quarter, and the Company returned $217 million to shareholders through $149 million of common stock repurchases and $68 million of dividends.   

Outlook

Regarding the Company's outlook, Mr. Pruitt said, "We reiterate our full-year outlook to deliver between $2.4 and $2.6 billion of Adjusted EBITDA.  Our execution in the first quarter, in addition to a healthy backlog supported by large projects and public construction activity, gives us good momentum heading into the rest of the year.  We continue to monitor the potential impacts from geopolitical uncertainty but, as always, will remain focused on what we can control to drive durable growth."

Conference Call

Vulcan will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. CT on April 29, 2026.  A webcast will be available via the Company's website at www.vulcanmaterials.com.  Investors and other interested parties may access the teleconference live by calling 800-445-7795, or 785-424-1699 if outside the U.S.  The conference ID is 5306428.  The conference call will be recorded and available for replay at the Company's website approximately two hours after the call.

About Vulcan Materials Company

Vulcan Materials Company, a member of the S&P 500 Index with headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation's largest supplier of construction aggregates – primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel – and a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete.  For additional information about Vulcan, go to www.vulcanmaterials.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Because GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis are not accessible, and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort, we have not provided reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP measures, other than the reconciliation of Projected Adjusted EBITDA as included in Appendix 2 hereto. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT DISCLAIMER

This document contains forward-looking statements.  Statements that are not historical fact, including statements about Vulcan's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.  Generally, these statements relate to future financial performance, results of operations, business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated revenues, expenses, earnings (including EBITDA and other measures), dividend policy, shipment volumes, pricing, levels of capital expenditures, intended cost reductions and cost savings, anticipated profit improvements and/or planned divestitures and asset sales.  These forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "believe," "should," "would," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "can," "may" or similar expressions elsewhere in this document.  These statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to general business conditions, competitive factors, pricing, energy costs, and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports Vulcan periodically files with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results, developments, and business decisions may vary significantly from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.  The following risks related to Vulcan's business, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: general economic and business conditions; domestic and global political, economic or diplomatic developments, including the military conflict in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran; a pandemic, epidemic or other public health emergency; Vulcan's dependence on the construction industry, which is subject to economic cycles; the timing and amount of federal, state and local funding for infrastructure; changes in the level of spending for private residential and private nonresidential construction; changes in Vulcan's effective tax rate; the increasing reliance on information technology infrastructure, including the risks that the infrastructure does not work as intended, experiences technical difficulties or is subjected to cyber-attacks; the impact of the state of the global economy on Vulcan's businesses and financial condition and access to capital markets; international business operations and relationships, including actions taken by the Mexican government with respect to Vulcan's property and operations in that country; the highly competitive nature of the construction industry; the impact of future regulatory or legislative actions, including those relating to climate change, biodiversity, land use, wetlands, greenhouse gas emissions, the definition of minerals, tax policy and domestic and international trade; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; pricing of Vulcan's products; weather and other natural phenomena, including the impact of climate change and availability of water; availability and cost of trucks, railcars, barges and ships as well as their licensed operators for transport of Vulcan's materials; energy costs; costs of hydrocarbon-based raw materials; healthcare costs; labor relations, shortages and constraints; the amount of long-term debt and interest expense incurred by Vulcan; changes in interest rates; volatility in pension plan asset values and liabilities, which may require cash contributions to the pension plans; the impact of environmental cleanup costs and other liabilities relating to existing and/or divested businesses; Vulcan's ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; Vulcan's ability to identify, close and successfully integrate acquisitions; the effect of changes in tax laws, guidance and interpretations; significant downturn in the construction industry may result in the impairment of goodwill or long-lived assets; changes in technologies, which could disrupt the way Vulcan does business and how Vulcan's products are distributed; the risks of open pit and underground mining; expectations relating to sustainability considerations; claims that our products do not meet regulatory requirements or contractual specifications; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the reports filed by Vulcan with the SEC.  All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.  Vulcan disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this document except as required by law.

Table A

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in millions, except per share data)

Three Months Ended

Consolidated Statements of Earnings

March 31

(Condensed and unaudited)

2026

2025

Total revenues

$1,755.9

$1,634.6

Cost of revenues

(1,333.2)

(1,269.3)

Gross profit

422.7

365.3

Selling, administrative and general expenses

(135.7)

(138.3)

Gain (loss) on sale of property, plant & equipment

and businesses

(0.3)

7.4

Other operating expense, net

(21.3)

(8.0)

Operating earnings

265.4

226.4

Other nonoperating income (expense), net

1.4

(2.6)

Interest expense, net

(53.9)

(59.7)

Earnings from continuing operations

before income taxes

212.9

164.1

Income tax expense

(45.9)

(33.8)

Earnings from continuing operations

167.0

130.3

Loss on discontinued operations, net of tax

(1.0)

(0.9)

Net earnings

166.0

129.4

Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest

(0.5)

(0.5)

Net earnings attributable to Vulcan

$165.5

$128.9

Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan

Continuing operations

$1.27

$0.98

Discontinued operations

$0.00

($0.01)

Net earnings

$1.27

$0.97

Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan

Continuing operations

$1.27

$0.98

Discontinued operations

($0.01)

($0.01)

Net earnings

$1.26

$0.97

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

Basic

130.7

132.4

Assuming dilution

131.2

133.0

Effective tax rate from continuing operations

21.6 %

20.6 %

Table B

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in millions)

Consolidated Balance Sheets

March 31

December 31

March 31

(Condensed and unaudited)

2026

2025

2025

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$140.2

$183.3

$181.3

Restricted cash

3.5

6.1

11.6

Accounts and notes receivable

Accounts and notes receivable, gross

975.7

898.2

941.9

Allowance for credit losses

(10.1)

(10.5)

(13.0)

Accounts and notes receivable, net

965.6

887.7

928.9

Inventories

Finished products

564.1

557.7

570.3

Raw materials

41.0

36.7

65.7

Products in process

6.7

5.4

10.3

Operating supplies and other

84.0

80.7

74.7

Inventories

695.8

680.5

721.0

Other current assets

79.1

101.8

83.1

Assets held for sale

698.2

708.5

0.0

Total current assets

2,582.4

2,567.9

1,925.9

Investments and long-term receivables

33.7

33.7

31.3

Property, plant & equipment

Property, plant & equipment, cost

14,583.7

14,504.7

14,534.2

Allowances for depreciation, depletion & amortization

(6,483.4)

(6,356.1)

(6,152.9)

Property, plant & equipment, net

8,100.3

8,148.6

8,381.3

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

525.9

521.5

566.0

Goodwill

3,780.9

3,780.9

3,815.0

Other intangible assets, net

1,478.8

1,489.0

1,846.3

Other noncurrent assets

170.9

158.8

146.3

Total assets

$16,672.9

$16,700.4

$16,712.1

Liabilities

Current maturities of long-term debt

0.0

0.4

0.5

Short-term debt

197.0

0.0

0.0

Trade payables and accruals

398.8

438.5

354.7

Other current liabilities

374.0

487.9

441.7

Liabilities held for sale

27.5

29.3

0.0

Total current liabilities

997.3

956.1

796.9

Long-term debt

4,363.0

4,361.7

4,907.9

Deferred income taxes, net

1,362.1

1,358.3

1,331.4

Deferred revenue

129.0

130.6

136.2

Noncurrent operating lease liabilities

525.8

522.6

556.1

Other noncurrent liabilities

820.0

822.2

825.1

Total liabilities

$8,197.2

$8,151.5

$8,553.6

Equity

Common stock, $1 par value

130.3

130.6

132.1

Capital in excess of par value

2,907.5

2,930.0

2,889.2

Retained earnings

5,537.7

5,590.1

5,238.8

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(124.2)

(125.6)

(126.0)

Total shareholder's equity

8,451.3

8,525.1

8,134.1

Noncontrolling interest

24.4

23.8

24.4

Total equity

$8,475.7

$8,548.9

$8,158.5

Total liabilities and equity

$16,672.9

$16,700.4

$16,712.1

Table C

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in millions)

Three Months Ended

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

March 31

(Condensed and unaudited)

2026

2025

Operating Activities

Net earnings

$166.0

$129.4

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

170.3

186.4

Noncash operating lease expense

13.5

13.5

Net (gain) loss on sale of property, plant & equipment and businesses

0.3

(7.4)

Contributions to pension plans

(0.8)

(1.2)

Share-based compensation expense

15.5

13.9

Deferred income taxes, net

3.3

(1.8)

Changes in assets and liabilities before initial

effects of business acquisitions and dispositions

(130.5)

(85.2)

Other, net

3.5

3.9

Net cash provided by operating activities

$241.1

$251.5

Investing Activities

Purchases of property, plant & equipment

(176.5)

(168.0)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment

1.6

17.7

Proceeds from sale of businesses

0.0

19.0

Payment for businesses acquired, net of acquired cash and adjustments

0.0

4.7

Other, net

0.0

0.1

Net cash used for investing activities

($174.9)

($126.5)

Financing Activities

Proceeds from short-term debt

197.0

0.0

Payment of short-term debt and other financing obligations

(50.0)

0.0

Payment of current maturities and long-term debt

(0.4)

(400.4)

Payment of finance leases

(3.3)

(2.9)

Purchases of common stock

(149.5)

(38.1)

Dividends paid

(67.9)

(66.0)

Share-based compensation, shares withheld for taxes

(37.8)

(25.4)

Other, net

0.0

(0.1)

Net cash used for financing activities

($111.9)

($532.9)

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

(45.7)

(407.9)

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year

189.4

600.8

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$143.7

$192.9

Table D

Segment Financial Data and Unit Shipments

(in millions, except per unit data)

Three Months Ended

March 31

2026

2025

Total Revenues

Aggregates 1

$1,450.5

$1,335.9

Asphalt 2

215.8

208.7

Concrete

187.5

177.0

Segment sales

$1,853.8

$1,721.6

Aggregates intersegment sales

(97.9)

(87.0)

Total

$1,755.9

$1,634.6

Gross Profit

Aggregates

$400.3

$357.3

Asphalt

12.2

4.8

Concrete

10.2

3.2

Total

$422.7

$365.3

Depreciation, Depletion, Accretion and Amortization

Aggregates

$145.9

$150.4

Asphalt

11.2

12.0

Concrete

4.0

15.4

Other

9.2

8.6

Total

$170.3

$186.4

Average Unit Sales Price and Unit Shipments

Aggregates

Freight-adjusted revenues 3

$1,139.0

$1,052.0

Aggregates - tons

50.0

47.8

Freight-adjusted sales price 4

$22.80

$22.03

Other Products

Asphalt Mix - tons

2.3

2.2

Asphalt Mix - sales price 5

$83.71

$81.32

Ready-mixed concrete - cubic yards

1.0

0.9

Ready-mixed concrete - sales price 5

$190.45

$189.38

1 Includes product sales (crushed stone, sand and gravel, sand, and other aggregates), as well as freight & delivery

  costs that we pass along to our customers, and service revenues related to aggregates.

2 Includes product sales, as well as service revenues from our asphalt construction paving business.

3 Freight-adjusted revenues are Aggregates segment sales excluding freight & delivery revenues and

  other revenues related to services, such as landfill tipping fees, that are derived from our aggregates business.

4 Freight-adjusted sales price is calculated as freight-adjusted revenues divided by aggregates unit shipments.

5 Sales price is calculated by dividing revenues generated from the shipment of product (excluding service revenues

  generated by the segments) by total units of the product shipped.

Appendix 1

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

Aggregates segment freight-adjusted revenues is not a Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) measure and should not be considered as an alternative to metrics defined by GAAP. We present this metric as it is consistent with the basis by which we review our operating results. We believe that this presentation is consistent with our competitors and meaningful to our investors as it excludes revenues associated with freight & delivery, which are pass-through activities. It also excludes other revenues related to services, such as landfill tipping fees, that are derived from our aggregates business. Additionally, we use this metric as the basis for calculating the average sales price of our aggregates products. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

Aggregates Segment Freight-Adjusted Revenues

(in millions, except per unit data)

Three Months Ended

Trailing-Twelve Months Ended

March 31

March 31

2026

2025

2026

2025

Aggregates segment

Segment sales

$1,450.5

$1,335.9

$6,411.7

$5,994.1

Freight & delivery revenues 1

(288.2)

(264.3)

(1,239.0)

(1,207.0)

Other revenues

(23.3)

(19.6)

(100.3)

(90.3)

Freight-adjusted revenues

$1,139.0

$1,052.0

$5,072.4

$4,696.8

Unit shipments - tons

50.0

47.8

229.0

219.5

Freight-adjusted sales price

$22.80

$22.03

$22.15

$21.39

1 At the segment level, freight & delivery revenues include intersegment freight & delivery (which are eliminated at the consolidated

  level) and freight to remote distribution sites.

GAAP does not define "cash gross profit," and it should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. We and the investment community use this metric to assess the operating performance of our business. Additionally, we present this metric as we believe that it closely correlates to long-term shareholder value. Cash gross profit adds back noncash charges for depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization to gross profit. Segment cash gross profit per unit is computed by dividing segment cash gross profit by units shipped. Segment cash cost of sales per unit is computed by subtracting segment cash gross profit per unit from segment freight-adjusted sales price. Reconciliation of these metrics to their nearest GAAP measures are presented below:

Cash Gross Profit

(in millions, except per unit data)

Three Months Ended

Trailing-Twelve Months Ended

March 31

March 31

2026

2025

2026

2025

Aggregates segment

Gross profit

$400.3

$357.3

$2,007.8

$1,870.8

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

145.9

150.4

599.0

542.6

Cash gross profit

$546.2

$507.7

$2,606.8

$2,413.4

Unit shipments - tons

50.0

47.8

229.0

219.5

Gross profit per ton

$8.01

$7.48

$8.77

$8.52

Freight-adjusted sales price

$22.80

$22.03

$22.15

$21.39

Cash gross profit per ton

10.93

10.63

11.38

10.99

Freight-adjusted cash cost of sales per ton

$11.87

$11.40

$10.77

$10.40

Asphalt segment

Gross profit

$12.2

$4.8

$181.4

$170.1

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

11.2

12.0

48.9

47.4

Cash gross profit

$23.4

$16.8

$230.3

$217.5

Concrete segment

Gross profit

$10.2

$3.2

$42.8

$19.1

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

4.0

15.4

50.7

48.6

Cash gross profit

$14.2

$18.6

$93.5

$67.7

Appendix 2

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Continued)

GAAP does not define "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization" (EBITDA), and it should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. We use this metric to assess the operating performance of our business and as a basis for strategic planning and forecasting as we believe that it closely correlates to long-term shareholder value. We do not use this metric as a measure to allocate resources. We adjust EBITDA for certain items to provide a more consistent comparison of earnings performance from period to period. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below (numbers may not foot due to rounding):

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

(in millions)

Three Months Ended

Trailing-Twelve Months Ended

March 31

March 31

2026

2025

2026

2025

Net earnings attributable to Vulcan

$165.5

$128.9

$1,113.2

$938.2

Income tax expense, including discontinued operations

45.5

33.4

317.9

253.8

Interest expense, net

53.9

59.7

220.5

190.9

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

170.3

186.4

732.4

667.7

EBITDA

$435.1

$408.4

$2,384.1

$2,050.6

Loss on discontinued operations

$1.4

$1.3

$6.2

$9.2

Gain on sale of real estate and businesses, net

0.0

0.0

(42.4)

(36.7)

Loss on impairments

0.0

0.0

0.0

86.6

Charges associated with divested operations

2.0

0.0

2.6

17.7

Acquisition related charges 1

0.0

1.2

0.8

17.4

CEO transition and reorganization charges2

8.6

0.0

8.6

0.0

Adjusted EBITDA

$447.1

$410.9

$2,359.8

$2,144.7

Total revenues

$1,755.9

$1,634.6

$8,062.3

$7,506.6

Adjusted EBITDA margin

25.5 %

25.1 %

29.3 %

28.6 %

1 Represents charges associated with acquisitions requiring clearance under federal antitrust laws.

2 Represents employee termination and other discrete charges directly related to organizational changes resulting from

  the appointment of Ronnie Pruitt as CEO, effective January 1, 2026.

Similar to our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, we present Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) attributable to Vulcan from continuing operations to provide a more consistent comparison of earnings performance from period to period. This metric is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

Adjusted Diluted EPS Attributable to Vulcan from Continuing Operations (Adjusted Diluted EPS)

Three Months Ended

Trailing-Twelve Months Ended

March 31

March 31

2026

2025

2026

2025

Net earnings attributable to Vulcan

$1.26

$0.97

$8.42

$7.06

Items included in Adjusted EBITDA above, net of tax

0.07

0.02

(0.16)

0.67

NOL carryforward valuation allowance

0.02

0.01

0.08

0.00

Adjusted diluted EPS attributable to Vulcan from

continuing operations

$1.35

$1.00

$8.34

$7.73

Projected Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

2026 Projected Adjusted EBITDA

(in millions)

Mid-point

Net earnings attributable to Vulcan

$1,210

Income tax expense, including discontinued operations

350

Interest expense, net

225

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

700

Projected EBITDA

$2,485

Items included in Adjusted EBITDA

$15

Projected Adjusted EBITDA

$2,500

Because GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis are not accessible, and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort, we have not provided reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP measures, other than the reconciliation of Projected Adjusted EBITDA as noted above. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

Appendix 3

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Continued)

Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA is not a GAAP measure and should not be considered as an alternative to metrics defined by GAAP. We, the investment community and credit rating agencies use this metric to assess our leverage. Net debt subtracts cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from total debt. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA

(in millions)

March 31

2026

2025

Debt

Current maturities of long-term debt

$0.0

$0.5

Short-term debt

197.0

0.0

Long-term debt

4,363.0

4,907.9

Total debt

$4,560.0

$4,908.4

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

(143.7)

(192.9)

Net debt

$4,416.3

$4,715.5

Trailing-Twelve Months (TTM) Adjusted EBITDA

$2,359.8

$2,144.7

Total debt to TTM Adjusted EBITDA

 1.9x

 2.3x

Net debt to TTM Adjusted EBITDA

 1.9x

 2.2x

We define "Return on Invested Capital" (ROIC) as Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing-twelve months divided by average invested capital (as illustrated below) during the trailing 5-quarters. Our calculation of ROIC is considered a non-GAAP financial measure because we calculate ROIC using the non-GAAP metric EBITDA. We believe that our ROIC metric is meaningful because it helps investors assess how effectively we are deploying our assets. Although ROIC is a standard financial metric, numerous methods exist for calculating a company's ROIC. As a result, the method we use to calculate our ROIC may differ from the methods used by other companies. This metric is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below (numbers may not foot due to rounding):

Return on Invested Capital

(dollars in millions)

Trailing-Twelve Months Ended

March 31

2026

2025

Adjusted EBITDA

$2,359.8

$2,144.7

Average invested capital

Property, plant & equipment, net

$8,386.8

$7,175.1

Goodwill

3,809.6

3,624.3

Other intangible assets

1,655.4

1,549.0

Fixed and intangible assets

$13,851.8

$12,348.4

Current assets

$2,021.7

$2,057.7

Cash and cash equivalents

(214.4)

(328.0)

Current tax

(25.4)

(38.2)

Adjusted current assets

1,781.9

1,691.6

Current liabilities

(1,006.1)

(860.6)

Current maturities of long-term debt

0.4

80.5

Short-term debt

149.4

19.0

Adjusted current liabilities

(856.3)

(761.1)

Adjusted net working capital

$925.5

$930.5

Average invested capital

$14,777.3

$13,278.9

Return on invested capital

16.0 %

16.2 %

Investor Contact:  Mark Warren (205) 298-3220
Media Contact:  Jack Bonnikson (205) 298-3220

SOURCE Vulcan Materials Company