2019 Shipments and Pricing Improved for Aggregates, Cement and Asphalt
Full-Year Consolidated Gross Margin Expanded 210 Basis Points2020 Outlook Reflects Continuing Steady Growth in Aggregates Shipments and PricingRALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) today reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2019. Highlights include: 
Ward Nye, Chairman, President and CEO of Martin Marietta, stated, “We are pleased to have concluded 2019 as the most profitable year in our Company’s history. Driven by improved shipments, pricing and profitability across the vast majority of our Building Materials business, we achieved our eighth consecutive year of growth for revenues, gross profit, adjusted EBITDA and earnings per diluted share (after adjusting for the one-time earnings per diluted share benefit in 2017 from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017). This year’s record-setting results, combined with our team’s shared commitment to safety and operational excellence, yielded a 64 percent total shareholder return. Building on this momentum and our more than 25-year history as a public company, Martin Marietta is well-positioned for responsible long-term growth and further shareholder value creation in 2020 and beyond.
“Looking ahead, our 2020 outlook remains positive across our three primary construction end-use markets. We believe construction growth in Martin Marietta’s top ten states will continue to outpace national averages and serves to reinforce our positive pricing outlook. Further supported by attractive market fundamentals and demand trends across our geographic footprint, as well as region-specific third-party forecasts, we expect the current construction cycle to expand at a steady and sustainable pace. Specifically, we anticipate infrastructure shipments, particularly for aggregates-intensive highways and streets, to meaningfully benefit from lettings and contract awards in our key states, strong federal and state funding levels and proposed regulatory reform. We are confident that states have the necessary visibility and resources to advance planned and future construction projects, regardless of a successor infrastructure bill passing prior to the September 2020 expiration of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). Furthermore, the Council on Environmental Quality recently proposed recommendations that, if approved, will reduce the regulatory burden of permitting large highway and bridge projects.”Mr. Nye concluded, “With enhanced levels of needed infrastructure activity on the horizon and a healthy private sector, we expect 2020 to be another record year for Martin Marietta. Our ability to repeatedly deliver industry-leading safety, financial and operational performance demonstrates the successful execution of our proven strategy and our steadfast dedication to the world-class attributes of our business – including, safety, ethics, cost discipline and operational excellence. Importantly, we continue to strengthen this foundation for long-term success through strategic geographic positioning, cost management, price discipline, sustainable practices and prudent capital allocation. We will continue adhering to our strategic priorities and look forward to extending our long track record of consistently delivering profitability growth and enhanced shareholder value.” Mr. Nye’s CEO Commentary and Market Perspective can be found on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website.Fourth-Quarter Operating Results
(All comparisons are versus the prior-year quarter unless noted otherwise) 
 
Building Materials Business
Fourth-quarter operating results reflect the continuation of strong underlying product demand, partially offset by the timing of infrastructure projects. The aggregates and downstream operations in Colorado, the Company’s second-largest state by revenues, experienced project delays resulting from significant precipitation and extreme temperatures along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and unplanned maintenance and repair activities.Aggregates Fourth-quarter aggregates shipments and pricing improved 4.0 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively.Shipments for the Mid-America Group increased 3.5 percent, driven primarily by wind energy and data center projects in the Midwest. Lower infrastructure shipments and unfavorable product mix limited pricing growth to 1.0 percent. 
 Shipments for the Southeast Group increased 7.5 percent, reflecting strong private-sector construction activity in the North Georgia and Florida markets that was partially tempered by infrastructure project delays. Pricing improved 3.0 percent.
 West Group shipments increased 3.4 percent, driven by strong underlying Texas demand that was offset by Colorado’s weather-impacted construction delays and unanticipated operating downtime. Pricing growth of 12.9 percent reflected favorable product mix and a higher percentage of commercial rail-shipped volumes.Martin Marietta’s fourth-quarter aggregates shipments by end use are as follows (all comparisons are versus the prior-year quarter): Infrastructure MarketAggregates shipments to the infrastructure market decreased modestly, reflecting project delays in North Carolina, Georgia and Colorado. The infrastructure market accounted for 34 percent of fourth-quarter aggregates shipments. For the full year, the infrastructure market represented 35 percent of aggregates shipments, remaining below the Company’s most recent ten-year average of 45 percent.Nonresidential MarketAggregates shipments to the nonresidential market increased, driven by ongoing commercial and heavy industrial construction activity. The Company continued to benefit from distribution center, warehouse, data center and wind energy projects in key geographies, including Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Iowa, as well as the early phases of several large energy-sector projects along the Gulf Coast. The nonresidential market represented 37 percent of fourth-quarter aggregates shipments.       Residential MarketAggregates shipments to the residential market increased, driven by a continued and attractive homebuilding dynamic in Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. The residential construction outlook across the Company’s geographic footprint remains positive for both single- and multi-family housing, driven by favorable population demographics, job growth, land availability, low interest rates and efficient permitting. On a national level, housing starts remain below the 50-year annual average of 1.5 million despite notable population gains. The residential market accounted for 23 percent of fourth-quarter aggregates shipments.ChemRock/Rail MarketThe ChemRock/Rail market accounted for the remaining 6 percent of fourth-quarter aggregates shipments. Volumes to this end use increased, driven by improved ballast shipments as the western Class 1 railroads continued to address repairs from the Midwest flooding earlier in the year.Aggregates product gross margin expanded 170 basis points to 27.0 percent, driven by pricing gains and improved operating leverage from increased shipment and production levels and was partially offset by higher costs for contract services, repairs and supplies to prepare for future production needs.CementFourth-quarter cement shipments increased 22.3 percent, driven by strong underlying Texas demand. Unfavorable product mix muted pricing gains to 2.2 percent. Revenue growth, coupled with production efficiencies from increased shipment and production levels, more than offset higher maintenance costs, as product gross margin improved 320 basis points to 36.0 percent. Downstream businessesReady mixed concrete shipments increased 5.3 percent, reflecting the healthy Texas demand environment, partially offset by weather-impacted projects in Colorado. Ready mixed concrete selling prices declined slightly, as unfavorable product mix and a shift in customer segmentation affected Texas pricing and offset solid pricing gains in Colorado.  Colorado asphalt shipments decreased 4.1 percent while pricing improved 1.8 percent. Magnesia Specialties BusinessMagnesia Specialties product revenues decreased 24.1 percent to $51.0 million as international chemicals and domestic lime customers continued to rationalize inventory levels. The business reported product gross margin of 38.5 percent, as effective cost containment measures limited the decline to 40 basis points.ConsolidatedSelling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues declined 30 basis points.Other operating expense, net, for the prior-year quarter included an $11.7 million asset and portfolio rationalization charge related to the Company’s Southwest ready mixed concrete business.Liquidity and Capital ResourcesCash provided by operating activities was $966.1 million in 2019 compared with $705.1 million in 2018, driven by growth in earnings and lower contributions to the Company’s pension plan, partially offset by higher working capital related to increased revenues.Cash paid for property, plant and equipment additions was $393.5 million in 2019.Commitment to Enhance Long-Term Shareholder ValueMartin Marietta is dedicated to disciplined capital allocation that preserves the Company’s financial flexibility and further enhances shareholder value. The Company’s capital allocation priorities remain unchanged and include value-enhancing acquisitions that promote the successful execution of the Company’s strategic growth plan, organic capital investment, and the return of cash to shareholders through meaningful and sustainable dividends and share repurchases.The Company has returned $1.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividend payments and share repurchases since announcing a 20 million share repurchase authorization in February 2015. During fourth quarter 2019, the Company repurchased 154,500 shares of common stock pursuant to its share repurchase authorization.  As of December 31, 2019, 13.7 million shares remained under the current repurchase authorization and 62.4 million shares of Martin Marietta common stock were outstanding.Full-Year 2020 OutlookMartin Marietta is confident in its 2020 outlook and in its key supporting factors. The Company’s geographic footprint has attractive underlying market fundamentals, including notable employment gains, population growth and superior state fiscal health, that should promote steady and sustainable construction growth over the near- and medium-terms. Supported by region-specific third-party forecasts and underlying demand trends, Martin Marietta believes the current construction cycle will continue for the foreseeable future and expand at a steady pace in 2020 for each of its three primary construction end-use markets. Notably:Infrastructure construction, particularly for aggregates-intensive highways and streets, is expected to benefit from lettings and contract awards in key Martin Marietta states, continued FAST Act funding, and regulatory reform allowing for reduced permitting time for large projects. Management believes that federal transportation funding will remain, at a minimum, at status quo levels absent the prospective passage of a successor infrastructure bill prior to the FAST Act’s September 2020 expiration. This should provide the necessary confidence and visibility for states to continue to advance planned and future construction projects. Importantly, states will continue to play an expanded role in infrastructure investment. Incremental funding at both state and local levels, through bond issuances, toll roads, tax initiatives and other sources, should grow at faster near-term rates than federal funding. Martin Marietta’s top ten states – Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa, Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska – accounted for 86 percent of total Building Materials’ revenues in 2019 and have all introduced incremental transportation funding measures within the last five years. Third-party forecasts also predict increased infrastructure investment in 2020 and beyond.Nonresidential construction is expected to increase in both the commercial and heavy industrial sectors for the next several years across many of the Company’s key markets. The national Architectural Billings and Dodge Momentum Indices have both rebounded from 2019 fluctuations and suggest healthy activity in Martin Marietta markets. Further, management believes continued employment and population growth will drive increased levels of commercial construction activity, particularly in the Company’s southeastern and southwestern states. Continued federal regulatory approvals should contribute to increased heavy building materials consumption from the next wave of large energy-sector projects, particularly along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Construction activity for these projects is expected to continue for several years.Residential construction is expected to continue growing within Martin Marietta’s geographic footprint, particularly as mortgage rates remain attractive and contractors address the need for more affordable homes. The Company’s leading positions in southeastern and southwestern states offer superior opportunities, such as available land, an overall business-friendly environment and fewer regulatory barriers, for gains in both single-family and multi-family housing. The Company believes that permits represent the best indicator of future housing construction. Permit growth for single-family and multi-family housing units remains healthy in Martin Marietta’s top ten states. Continued strength in residential construction supports future infrastructure and nonresidential activity. 
Non-GAAP Financial Information
This earnings release contains financial measures that have not been prepared in accordance with GAAP.  Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the closest GAAP measure are included in the accompanying Appendix to this earnings release. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are commonly used financial measures for investors to evaluate the Company’s operating performance, and when read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements, present a useful tool to evaluate the Company’s ongoing operations, performance from period to period and anticipated performance. In addition, these are some of the factors the Company uses in internal evaluations of the overall performance of its businesses. Management acknowledges that there are many items that impact a company’s reported results and the adjustments reflected in these non-GAAP measures are not intended to present all items that may have impacted these results. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.Conference Call InformationThe Company will discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2019 earnings results on a conference call and an online web simulcast today (February 11, 2020). The live broadcast of the Martin Marietta conference call will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. An online replay will be available approximately two hours following the conclusion of the live broadcast. A link to these events will be available at the Company’s website. Additionally, the Company has posted supplemental information related to its fourth-quarter and full-year performance on its website. For those investors without online web access, the conference call may also be accessed by calling (970) 315-0423, confirmation number 2083269.About Martin MariettaMartin Marietta, a member of the S&P 500 Index, is an American-based company and a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, ready mixed concrete and asphalt. Through a network of operations spanning 27 states, Canada and The Bahamas, dedicated Martin Marietta teams supply the resources necessary for building the solid foundations on which our communities thrive. Martin Marietta’s Magnesia Specialties business provides a full range of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide and dolomitic lime products. For more information, visit www.martinmarietta.com or www.magnesiaspecialties.com.Investor Contact:  Suzanne Osberg
Vice President, Investor Relations
(919) 783-4691
[email protected]MLM-E.If you are interested in Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. stock, management recommends that, at a minimum, you read the Company’s current annual report and Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the past year. The Company’s recent proxy statement for the annual meeting of shareholders also contains important information. These and other materials that have been filed with the SEC are accessible through the Company’s website at www.martinmarietta.com and are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also write or call the Company’s Corporate Secretary, who will provide copies of such reports.Investors are cautioned that all statements in this release that relate to the future involve risks and uncertainties, and are based on assumptions that the Company believes in good faith are reasonable but which may be materially different from actual results. These statements, which are forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, give the investor the Company’s expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. They may use words such as “guidance”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “should”, “believe”, “will”, and other words of similar meaning in connection with future events or future operating or financial performance. Any or all of our forward-looking statements here and in other publications may turn out to be wrong.The Company’s outlook is subject to various risks and uncertainties, and is based on assumptions that the Company believes in good faith are reasonable but which may be materially different from actual results. Factors that the Company currently believes could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this release (including the outlook) include, but are not limited to: the performance of the United States economy; shipment declines resulting from economic events beyond the Company’s control; a widespread decline in aggregates pricing, including a decline in aggregates shipment volume negatively affecting aggregates price; the history of both cement and ready mixed concrete being subject to significant changes in supply, demand and price fluctuations; the termination, capping and/or reduction or suspension of the federal and/or state gasoline tax(es) or other revenue related to public construction; the level and timing of federal, state or local transportation or infrastructure or public projects funding, most particularly in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa and Maryland; the United States Congress’ inability to reach agreement among themselves or with the Administration on policy issues that impact the federal budget; the ability of states and/or other entities to finance approved projects either with tax revenues or alternative financing structures; levels of construction spending in the markets the Company serves; a reduction in defense spending and the subsequent impact on construction activity on or near military bases; a decline in the commercial component of the nonresidential construction market, notably office and retail space; a decline in energy-related construction activity resulting from a sustained period of low global oil prices or changes in oil production patterns in response to this decline, particularly in Texas; increasing residential mortgage rates and other factors that could result in a slowdown in residential construction; unfavorable weather conditions, particularly Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico hurricane activity, the late start to spring or the early onset of winter and the impact of a drought or excessive rainfall in the markets served by the Company, any of which can significantly affect production schedules, volumes, product and/or geographic mix and profitability; the volatility of fuel costs, particularly diesel fuel, and the impact on the cost, or the availability generally, of other consumables, namely steel, explosives, tires and conveyor belts, and with respect to the Company’s Magnesia Specialties business, natural gas; continued increases in the cost of other repair and supply parts; construction labor shortages and/or supply‐chain challenges; unexpected equipment failures, unscheduled maintenance, industrial accident or other prolonged and/or significant disruption to production facilities; increasing governmental regulation, including environmental laws; the failure of relevant government agencies to implement expected regulatory reductions; transportation availability or a sustained reduction in capital investment by the railroads, notably the availability of railcars, locomotive power and the condition of rail infrastructure to move trains to supply the Company’s Texas, Colorado, Florida, Carolinas and the Gulf Coast markets, including the movement of essential dolomitic lime for magnesia chemicals to the Company’s plant in Manistee, Michigan and its customers; increased transportation costs, including increases from higher or fluctuating passed-through energy costs or fuel surcharges, and other costs to comply with tightening regulations, as well as higher volumes of rail and water shipments; availability of trucks and licensed drivers for transport of the Company’s materials; availability and cost of construction equipment in the United States; weakening in the steel industry markets served by the Company’s dolomitic lime products; trade disputes with one or more nations impacting the U.S. economy, including the impact of tariffs on the steel industry; unplanned changes in costs or realignment of customers that introduce volatility to earnings, including that of the Magnesia Specialties business that is running at capacity; proper functioning of information technology and automated operating systems to manage or support operations; inflation and its effect on both production and interest costs; the concentration of customers in construction markets and the increased risk of potential losses on customer receivables; the impact of the level of demand in the Company’s end-use markets, production levels and management of production costs on the operating leverage and therefore profitability of the Company; the possibility that the expected synergies from acquisitions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period, including achieving anticipated profitability to maintain compliance with the Company’s leverage ratio debt covenant; changes in tax laws, the interpretation of such laws and/or administrative practices that would increase the Company’s tax rate;  violation of the Company’s debt covenant if price and/or volumes return to previous levels of instability; downward pressure on the Company’s common stock price and its impact on goodwill impairment evaluations; the possibility of a reduction of the Company’s credit rating to non-investment grade; and other risk factors listed from time to time found in the Company’s filings with the SEC. You should consider these forward-looking statements in light of risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and other periodic filings made with the SEC. All of our forward-looking statements should be considered in light of these factors. In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we consider immaterial could affect the accuracy of our forward-looking statements, or adversely affect or be material to the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.






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