Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) vs United States Steel Corporation (X)
VMC leads on 9 of 14 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Vulcan Materials Company and United States Steel Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
VMC
Vulcan Materials Company
$286.47Basic Materials
X
United States Steel Corporation
$54.84Basic Materials
Total return — VMC vs X
growth of $100 · last 29yVMC +1229.6%X +82.8%VMC compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
VMC X
VMC vs X: by the numbers
- •VMC is the larger company ($37.17B vs $12.42B market cap).
- •VMC trades at the lower earnings multiple (34.06 vs 189.10 P/E).
- •VMC converts more revenue to profit (13.88% vs 0.64% net margin).
- •VMC grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.56% vs 4.51% CAGR).
- •VMC pays the higher dividend yield (0.71% vs 0.36%).
Which is better, VMC or X?
Metric tally: VMC 9 · X 5It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueVMC(lower P/E)
GrowthVMC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeVMC(higher dividend yield)
QualityVMC(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | VMC | X |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 34.06● | 189.10 |
| Forward P/E | 26.49 | — |
| P/S ratio | 4.69 | 0.81● |
| P/B ratio | 4.47 | 0.77● |
| PEG ratio | 1.90 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 16.47 | 10.84● |
| FCF yield | 2.95% | — |
Profitability
| Metric | VMC | X |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 27.61%● | 7.57% |
| Operating margin | 20.62%● | -2.36% |
| Net margin | 13.88%● | 0.64% |
| ROE | 13.22%● | 0.61% |
| ROIC | 8.02%● | 1.24% |
Dividends
| Metric | VMC | X |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.71%● | 0.36% |
| Payout ratio | 24.79% | 11.70% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | VMC | X |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 10.56%● | 4.51% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 13.07%● | -19.55% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 5.93% | 24.58%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 11.33% | 47.40%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, VMC or X?
- It depends on your goal. value: VMC (lower P/E); growth: VMC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: VMC (higher dividend yield); quality: VMC (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, VMC leads 9 to 5.
- Is VMC or X cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, VMC is cheaper: VMC trades at a 34.06 P/E and X at 189.10.
- Which has grown faster, VMC or X?
- Over the past five years, VMC grew revenue faster — VMC at a 10.56% CAGR versus X at 4.51%.
- Does VMC or X pay a bigger dividend?
- VMC yields 0.71% and X yields 0.36% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is VMC or X more profitable?
- VMC runs the higher net margin — VMC at 13.88% versus X at 0.64%.
- Which has been the better investment, VMC or X?
- Over the past 10-year, VMC delivered the higher annualized total return — VMC at 10.45% versus X at 9.88%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Vulcan Materials P/E ratioUnited States Steel P/E ratioVulcan Materials dividend yieldUnited States Steel dividend yieldVulcan Materials ROEUnited States Steel ROEVulcan Materials operating marginUnited States Steel operating marginVulcan Materials revenue growthUnited States Steel revenue growthVulcan Materials free cash flowUnited States Steel free cash flow
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 14, 2026.