Alcoa Corporation (AA) vs Vulcan Materials Company (VMC)

AA leads on 10 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Alcoa Corporation and Vulcan Materials Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Total return — AA vs VMC

growth of $100 · last 30y
AA +106.0%VMC +1391.3%VMC compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $100200120062011201620212026$206$1,491
AA VMC

AA vs VMC: by the numbers

  • VMC is the larger company ($37.17B vs $18.15B market cap).
  • AA trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.24 vs 34.06 P/E).
  • VMC converts more revenue to profit (13.88% vs 8.17% net margin).
  • VMC grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.56% vs 5.08% CAGR).
  • VMC pays the higher dividend yield (0.71% vs 0.58%).

Which is better, AA or VMC?

Metric tally: AA 10 · VMC 7

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAA(lower P/E)
GrowthVMC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeVMC(higher dividend yield)
QualityVMC(higher ROIC)

Valuation

MetricAAVMC
P/E ratio17.2434.06
Forward P/E8.7726.49
P/S ratio1.444.69
P/B ratio2.684.47
PEG ratio0.011.90
EV / EBITDA11.5616.47
FCF yield1.57%2.95%

Profitability

MetricAAVMC
Gross margin15.20%27.61%
Operating margin3.82%20.62%
Net margin8.17%13.88%
ROE15.15%13.22%
ROIC6.12%8.02%

Dividends

MetricAAVMC
Dividend yield0.58%0.71%
Payout ratio8.95%24.79%

Growth (annualized)

MetricAAVMC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)5.08%10.56%
EPS CAGR (5Y)20.38%13.07%
FCF CAGR (5Y)13.41%5.93%
Total return CAGR (5Y)14.06%11.33%

Frequently asked

Which is better, AA or VMC?
It depends on your goal. value: AA (lower P/E); growth: VMC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: VMC (higher dividend yield); quality: VMC (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, AA leads 10 to 7.
Is AA or VMC cheaper?
On trailing earnings, AA is cheaper: AA trades at a 17.24 P/E and VMC at 34.06.
Which has grown faster, AA or VMC?
Over the past five years, VMC grew revenue faster — AA at a 5.08% CAGR versus VMC at 10.56%.
Does AA or VMC pay a bigger dividend?
AA yields 0.58% and VMC yields 0.71% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AA or VMC more profitable?
VMC runs the higher net margin — AA at 8.17% versus VMC at 13.88%.
Which has been the better investment, AA or VMC?
Over the past 10-year, AA delivered the higher annualized total return — AA at 13.03% versus VMC at 10.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.