Vulcan Materials Co. reported a series of financial gains in the second quarter despite a small dip in aggregate shipments.
Gross profit in Vulcan’s aggregate segment was up 5.8 percent to $559.5 million, and gross profit margin grew by 110 basis points to 33.9 percent.
Aggregate cash gross profit per ton increased nearly 8.8 percent in the second quarter to $11.88 per ton. This was due, in part, to continued pricing discipline and operational execution, according to Vulcan.
Aggregate shipments, meanwhile, decreased 1.3 percent compared to the second quarter of 2024. Vulcan shipped a total of 59.3 million tons of aggregates in the second quarter this year. The company attributes the decrease, in part, to significant rainfall in key Southeastern markets throughout much of the quarter.
Freight-adjusted selling prices increased nearly 5.3 percent in the second quarter ($22.11 per ton). Vulcan also reports that freight-adjusted unit cash cost of sales increased 1.5 percent ($10.23 per ton).
“Our second-quarter results reflected another quarter of outstanding execution, and we carry good momentum into the remainder of the year,” says Tom Hill, chairman and CEO of Vulcan Materials. “Despite weather challenges, our pricing discipline and excellent cost performance have led to a 13 percent increase in aggregates cash gross profit per ton, a 16 percent improvement in adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of 260 basis points through the first half of the year.”
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