Core Viewpoint - TimesSquare Capital Management's "U.S. Focus Growth Strategy" reported positive returns across major asset classes in Q3 2025, with a strategy return of 4.00% (gross) and 3.78% (net), outperforming the Russell Midcap Growth Index's return of 2.78% [1] Company Overview - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) is a building materials company that supplies aggregates and heavy-side building materials to the construction industry [2][3] - As of December 12, 2025, Martin Marietta's stock closed at $628.25 per share, with a market capitalization of $37.888 billion [2] Performance Metrics - Martin Marietta's one-month return was 6.49%, and its shares gained 14.79% over the last 52 weeks [2] - The company's shares rose 15% over the quarter following an asset swap deal with Quikrete, which involved the exchange of cement and ready-mix assets for aggregates operations across several states [3] Market Sentiment - Jim Cramer highlighted Martin Marietta Materials as a key player in the booming road building sector, although it is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds [4] - At the end of Q3 2025, 64 hedge fund portfolios held Martin Marietta, unchanged from the previous quarter [4]

Core Insights - Boise Cascade is favored over Nature Wood Group based on various financial metrics and analyst recommendations [3][4][9] Institutional & Insider Ownership - 96.2% of Boise Cascade shares are owned by institutional investors, while 1.0% are owned by company insiders, indicating strong institutional confidence in long-term growth [1] Analyst Recommendations - Boise Cascade has a consensus rating score of 2.50, with 1 sell, 2 hold, and 5 buy ratings, while Nature Wood Group has a score of 1.00 with no buy ratings [3][4] - The consensus price target for Boise Cascade is $102.50, suggesting a potential upside of 33.91% [3][4] Profitability - Boise Cascade has a net margin of 2.96%, return on equity of 9.00%, and return on assets of 5.64%, while Nature Wood Group does not have available data for these metrics [5][4] Risk & Volatility - Boise Cascade has a beta of 1.27, indicating it is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500, while Nature Wood Group has a beta of 1.87, indicating it is 87% more volatile [6] Valuation and Earnings - Boise Cascade reported gross revenue of $6.72 billion, a price/sales ratio of 0.42, net income of $376.35 million, earnings per share of $5.06, and a price/earnings ratio of 15.13 [8] - In contrast, Nature Wood Group reported gross revenue of $21.54 million, a price/sales ratio of 0.90, and a net loss of $8.73 million [8] Summary - Boise Cascade outperforms Nature Wood Group in 10 out of 12 evaluated factors, indicating a stronger overall position [9]

Core Insights - L1 Long Short Fund's portfolio achieved a return of 13.3% in Q3 2025, with a year-to-date performance of 28.7%, driven by dovish Fed commentary, strong U.S. earnings, and momentum in A.I. investments [1] - The fund's performance was bolstered by rising Gold and Copper prices, with 19 stocks contributing over 0.5% to returns [1] Company Overview: CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) - CRH plc, a building materials solutions provider based in Dublin, Ireland, saw a one-month return of 15.90% and a 52-week gain of 29.69%, closing at $126.99 per share with a market capitalization of $85.003 billion on December 11, 2025 [2] - The company reported strong Q2 earnings and upgraded its full-year EBITDA guidance, managing to offset adverse weather and a subdued U.S. residential market [3] - U.S. infrastructure spending remains robust, with less than 40% of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) spending deployed, indicating potential medium-term tailwinds for infrastructure spending [3] Investment Sentiment - CRH plc is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 102 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q3, up from 89 in the previous quarter [4] - While CRH is recognized for its potential, certain A.I. stocks are viewed as having greater upside potential and less downside risk [4]

Group 1 - Craig Gunckel has been appointed as the new CEO of The ODP Corporation following the completion of its acquisition by Atlas Holdings, which is valued at approximately $1 billion [1][2] - The acquisition has received all necessary regulatory approvals and ODP is now a private and independently operated company, leading to its stock being delisted from the Nasdaq [2] - Gunckel brings nearly 30 years of leadership experience in the paper and packaging industries, having previously served as CEO of Iconex, a company owned by Atlas [3] Group 2 - The ODP Corporation is undergoing a slow turnaround, shifting focus from retail to business-to-business operations, although recent performance has shown only modest improvement in the B2B segment while retail has continued to decline [4] - Analysts from UBS noted that significant progress in ODP's turnaround will take time, indicating a cautious outlook on the company's recovery [5] - Under new ownership, ODP aims to enhance agility and focus on its core businesses, Office Depot OfficeMax and ODP Business Solutions, with a commitment to sustainable and profitable growth [6]

Core Insights - A class action lawsuit has been filed against James Hardie Industries plc for allegedly making false statements regarding the demand for its North America Fiber Cement segment, which was reportedly experiencing weakening demand due to distributor inventory destocking [3][7] - The lawsuit claims that James Hardie misrepresented the strength of demand and inventory levels, leading to a significant drop in share price after the company disclosed a 12% sales decline in the segment on August 19, 2025 [3][7] Allegation Details - The complaint alleges that James Hardie was aware of weakening demand in its key segment by April and May 2025 but failed to disclose this information [3] - The company falsely represented that demand remained strong and inventory levels were "normal" [3] - Following the announcement of a 12% sales decline attributed to "normalization of channel inventories," the company's share price fell by more than 34% [3] Next Steps - Investors who purchased James Hardie shares during the class period (May 20, 2025, to August 18, 2025) and suffered losses are encouraged to contact the law firm for more information and to discuss their legal rights [4][7] - The deadline for investors to apply to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is December 23, 2025 [7]

Core Insights - Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) is a leading producer of construction aggregates in the United States, with a market cap of approximately $38.6 billion [1][2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Vulcan Materials reported total revenue of $2.3 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of about 14.4% [5] - Shipments in the core aggregates business rose by 12% year-over-year, while cash gross profit per ton increased to $11.84, marking the eleventh consecutive quarter of double-digit gains in unit profitability [5] - Year-to-date, VMC shares have risen by 13.8%, outperforming the Dow Jones Industrials Average's YTD gains of 12.5% [4] Stock Performance - VMC's stock has declined by 6.1% from its 52-week high of $311.74, reached on October 15 [3] - Over the past three months, VMC has underperformed compared to the Dow Jones Industrials Average, which gained 4.7% during the same period [3] - The stock has been trading above the 200-day moving average since late June but has mostly traded below the 50-day moving average since mid-October [4] Competitive Landscape - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) has outperformed VMC with an 18.5% return year-to-date and 6.5% gains over the past year [6] - Despite this, VMC has a consensus "Strong Buy" rating from 22 analysts, with a mean price target of $324.19, indicating a potential upside of 9.6% from current levels [6]

Company Overview - Eagle Materials is a leading U.S. supplier of essential construction materials, with a diversified portfolio that includes cement, aggregates, wallboard, and recycled paperboard [4] - The company serves a broad base of customers in residential, commercial, and public infrastructure markets, leveraging vertical integration and regional scale [5] Financial Performance - As of November 14, 2025, Eagle Materials has a market capitalization of $6.63 billion, revenue of $2.30 billion, and net income of $446.80 million [3] - The stock price on November 14, 2025, was $202.06, reflecting a 33.6% decline over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 46.7 percentage points [2][6] Recent Developments - L1 Capital International sold its entire $19.1 million stake in Eagle Materials, which constituted 4.7% of its 13F assets at the end of the second quarter [1][2] - The company missed earnings estimates for the second quarter of FY 2026, with wallboard volumes declining 5% in the first half due to softening demand from the residential construction sector [9] Market Trends - The U.S. housing market has softened since 2024, leading to a revenue growth decline from mid-teens in FY 2023 to zero growth in FY 2025 [7] - Elevated mortgage interest rates continue to raise concerns about housing affordability, impacting residential construction activity [9] Growth Opportunities - Despite challenges in the residential segment, Eagle's non-residential segments have shown solid growth, supported by government infrastructure projects and increased private spending [10] - The stock is currently trading at 16.3 times its trailing 12-month earnings and a price-to-sales ratio of 3.2, indicating it remains within its five-year ranges and may present a hidden gem for long-term investors [10][11]

Core Insights - Dividend stocks, while popular among long-term investors, have underperformed the broader market, with the Dividend Aristocrats Index rising by nearly 4% in 2025 compared to a 16.6% return for the broader market [2] - A study indicated that non-dividend-paying companies and those that cut dividends have historically underperformed other asset classes, showing higher volatility [3] - During market declines of over 10%, dividend stocks have outperformed non-dividend stocks, with a 14.4% decline compared to nearly 20% for the broader market from 1975 to March 2025 [4] Company Performance - Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) has seen a year-to-date decline in share price of 29.8% as of December 8, 2025, attributed to sluggish sales in Latin America and declining alcohol consumption among Gen Z [9][11] - UBS downgraded Diageo to Neutral from Buy, reducing its price target from 2,250 GBp to 1,850 GBp, citing continued downside risks in the US spirits market [10] - Despite challenges, Diageo reported flat organic net sales and a 2.9% growth in organic volume in fiscal Q1 2026, with expectations of approximately $3 billion in free cash flow in 2026 [12][13] Owens Corning Performance - Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) has experienced a year-to-date decline in share price of 32.8% as of December 8, 2025, due to challenging market conditions affecting residential trends in the US [14] - Barclays reduced its price target for Owens Corning to $130 from $131, maintaining an Overweight rating, while noting volatility in the housing market [15] - The company announced a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.79 per share and returned $278 million to investors through dividends and share repurchases [16][17]

JHX FINAL DEADLINE: ROSEN, A GLOBALLY RESPECTED LAW FIRM, Encourages James Hardie Industries plc Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action - JHXDecember 08, 2025 12:22 PM EST | Source: The Rosen Law Firm PANew York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 8, 2025) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE: JHX) between May 20, 2025 through August 18, 2025, both dates incl ...

Core Insights - The company is focusing on the Solutions Area, which was announced as a key focus in February [1] - The Housing Solutions business is expected to benefit from a decline in new housing starts in Japan, allowing for accelerated nonresidential and overseas expansion [1] Company Developments - The company aims to become a comprehensive building materials manufacturer by offering a wider range of products [1] - Discussions with partners are ongoing to explore nonsequential actions related to the business strategy [2]