Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM is set to report its first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before the opening bell.
In the last quarter, the company’s earnings (continuing operations) and revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17.7% and 1.3%, respectively. Year over year, earnings declined 4% while the revenues grew 9%.
Martin Marietta’s earnings topped the consensus mark in one of the last four quarters and missed on the remaining three occasions, having an average negative surprise of 7%.
Trend in MLM’s Estimate Revision
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MLM’s first-quarter earnings per share has trended downward in the past seven days to $1.88 from $1.94. The estimated figure indicates 1.1% year-over-year decline from $1.90.
The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $1.33 billion, indicating an 1.5% downturn from the prior-year quarter’s figure of $1.35 billion.
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. Quote
Factors Likely to Shape Martin Marietta’s Q1 Results
Martin Marietta’s first-quarter revenue performance is expected to have been held back by softness in private construction activities and the return of seasonality. The ongoing affordability concerns due to elevated mortgage rates have been limiting the recovery of the single-family housing market, a key demand driver for the company’s aggregates demand. This, alongside the continuation of winter in the first quarter and ongoing geopolitical risks, is expected to have muted the year-over-year performance.
For the quarter to be reported, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues from the total Building Materials business is pegged at $1.20 billion, down year over year by 5.5%.
Nonetheless, the continuous benefits realized from the resilient public infrastructure spending, complementary Specialties business and the portfolio transformation under its SOAR 2025 plan have been boding well. A large part of Martin Marietta’s aggregates business is supported by sustained public investment in highways, bridges and tunnels at both federal and state levels, alongside heavy nonresidential markets.
For the quarter to be reported, Martin Marietta’s bottom line is expected to have declined year over year due to reduced top-line leverage, elevated costs and ongoing macro uncertainties. The consensus mark for gross profit of the total Building Materials business is pegged at $288 million, reflecting a decline from $298 million in the year-ago quarter.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for MLM
Our proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Martin Marietta this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is not the case here.
Earnings ESP of MLM: The stock has an Earnings ESP of -5.95%. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
MLM’s Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Stocks With the Favorable Combination
Here are some stocks from the Zacks Construction sector, which per our model, have the right combination of elements to deliver an earnings beat this time around.
EMCOR Group, Inc. EME has an Earnings ESP of +1.71% and a Zacks Rank of 1, currently.
EMCOR’s earnings beat estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed on one occasion, the average surprise being 10.8%. EMCOR’s earnings for the first quarter of 2026 are expected to increase 8.1% year over year.
MasTec, Inc. MTZ has an Earnings ESP of +2.22% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
MasTec’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%. MasTec’s earnings for the first quarter of 2026 are expected to surge 92.2% year over year.
Dycom Industries, Inc. DY currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.55% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
Dycom’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.1%. Dycom’s earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 are expected to grow 30.6% compared with the prior year.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).