Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) vs Vulcan Materials Company (VMC)
RS leads on 10 of 15 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. and Vulcan Materials Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 9, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
RS
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
$376.50Basic Materials
VMC
Vulcan Materials Company
$288.73Basic Materials
Total return — RS vs VMC
growth of $100 · last 30yRS +4866.3%VMC +1369.7%RS compounded faster
RS VMC
RS vs VMC: by the numbers
- •VMC is the larger company ($37.46B vs $19.22B market cap).
- •RS trades at the lower earnings multiple (24.93 vs 34.08 P/E).
- •VMC converts more revenue to profit (13.88% vs 5.43% net margin).
- •VMC grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.56% vs 10.33% CAGR).
- •RS pays the higher dividend yield (1.31% vs 0.73%).
Which is better, RS or VMC?
Metric tally: RS 10 · VMC 5It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueRS(lower P/E)
GrowthVMC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeRS(higher dividend yield)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | RS | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 24.93● | 34.08 |
| Forward P/E | 19.04● | 31.09 |
| P/S ratio | 1.34● | 4.69 |
| P/B ratio | 2.79● | 4.47 |
| PEG ratio | 1.27● | 1.91 |
| EV / EBITDA | 15.51● | 17.94 |
| FCF yield | 3.08%● | 2.95% |
Profitability
| Metric | RS | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 27.22% | 27.61% |
| Operating margin | 7.52% | 20.62%● |
| Net margin | 5.43% | 13.88%● |
| ROE | 11.32% | 13.22%● |
| ROIC | 8.16% | 8.02% |
Dividends
| Metric | RS | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.31%● | 0.73% |
| Payout ratio | 35.54% | 25.52% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | RS | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 10.33% | 10.56%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 19.64%● | 13.07% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | -9.42% | 5.93%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 22.77%● | 11.53% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, RS or VMC?
- It depends on your goal. value: RS (lower P/E); growth: VMC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: RS (higher dividend yield). Across all compared metrics, RS leads 10 to 5.
- Is RS or VMC cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, RS is cheaper: RS trades at a 24.93 P/E and VMC at 34.08.
- Which has grown faster, RS or VMC?
- Over the past five years, VMC grew revenue faster — RS at a 10.33% CAGR versus VMC at 10.56%.
- Does RS or VMC pay a bigger dividend?
- RS yields 1.31% and VMC yields 0.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is RS or VMC more profitable?
- VMC runs the higher net margin — RS at 5.43% versus VMC at 13.88%.
- Which has been the better investment, RS or VMC?
- Over the past 10-year, RS delivered the higher annualized total return — RS at 19.20% versus VMC at 9.71%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Reliance Steel & Aluminum P/E ratioVulcan Materials P/E ratioReliance Steel & Aluminum dividend yieldVulcan Materials dividend yieldReliance Steel & Aluminum ROEVulcan Materials ROEReliance Steel & Aluminum operating marginVulcan Materials operating marginReliance Steel & Aluminum revenue growthVulcan Materials revenue growthReliance Steel & Aluminum free cash flowVulcan Materials free cash flow
Reliance Steel & Aluminum & Vulcan Materials appear in these rankings
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 July 9, 2026.