CHIHUAHUA, Mexico, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GCC, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: GCC*), cement, aggregates and concrete in the United States and Mexico, will host a conference call to review its fourth quarter 2025 earnings results on Wednesday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). Earnings results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, will be released on Tuesday, January 27, after market close. The call will be hosted by Enrique Escalante, CEO, and Maik Strecker, CFO, and can be accessed by dialing +1 (877) 407 ...

Core Viewpoint - CRH plc is considered a strong investment opportunity with significant upside potential, as indicated by various analysts and investment firms [1][2][3]. Group 1: Investment Potential - Seth Klarman holds a $405.6 million stake in CRH, suggesting confidence in the company's future performance [1]. - The average price target for CRH suggests a 10% upside, while the highest target indicates a potential upside of 30% [1]. - Jefferies maintains a Buy rating for CRH with a price target of $140, anticipating passive capital inflows and potential inclusion in the S&P 500 [2]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - Jefferies predicts that CRH's entry into the S&P 500 could lead to an additional purchase of 114.24 million shares, equivalent to an average trading volume of 27 days [2]. - The company has made significant investments in U.S. infrastructure, which may enhance its growth prospects [3]. - There is an expectation of a rebound in European demand, along with higher pricing and margins in the U.S. market [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - CRH plc, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Dublin, specializes in building materials and construction solutions, including aggregates, cement, concrete, and asphalt [4].

Core Insights - Madison Small Cap Fund experienced a challenging third quarter in 2025, with a decline of 1.3% in its performance, significantly underperforming benchmarks due to stock selection and a speculative market environment [1] Company Analysis: Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) - Eagle Materials Inc. is identified as a leading U.S. manufacturer of heavy construction materials and light building materials, with a one-month return of -13.13% and a 52-week loss of 35.57% [2][3] - The stock closed at $202.52 on November 20, 2025, with a market capitalization of $6.572 billion [2] - The company is viewed favorably due to its strong financial traits, including high margins, return on invested capital (ROIC), and return on equity (ROE) [3] - Despite a prolonged downturn in the residential construction cycle, Eagle Materials has gained market share due to its geographical footprint and cost-competitive wallboard assets [3] - The current intrinsic value estimate for Eagle Materials is calculated at $269 per share, based on conservative assumptions regarding margin expansion and share buybacks [3]

Company Overview - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) has a market cap of approximately $36 billion and is a leading provider of natural resource-based building materials, including aggregates, cement, concrete, asphalt, and paving services, both in the U.S. and internationally [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, MLM shares have risen by over 2%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 10.5%. However, on a year-to-date basis, MLM shares increased by 15.6%, surpassing the S&P 500's 11.2% return [2] - Compared to the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB), which saw an 8.6% dip over the past 52 weeks, MLM shares have outperformed [3] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Martin Marietta reported adjusted EPS of $5.97 and revenue of $1.85 billion, which were weaker than expected. Despite this, shares rose nearly 1% on November 4. The company raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA forecast to a midpoint of $2.32 billion and reported an 8% increase in aggregates shipments, indicating strong demand and pricing supported by infrastructure spending and data-center-driven construction activity [4] Earnings Expectations - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, analysts project a 44.1% year-over-year decline in adjusted EPS to $18.11. The company's earnings surprise history is mixed, with two beats and two misses in the last four quarters. Among 21 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," consisting of 12 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and eight "Holds" [5] Analyst Ratings - Stifel analyst Brian Brophy raised the price target for Martin Marietta to $681 while maintaining a "Buy" rating. The mean price target of $672.79 suggests a 12.7% premium to current price levels, while the highest price target of $754 indicates a potential upside of 26.3% [6]

Core Insights - Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) is a leading producer of construction aggregates, with a market capitalization of $37 billion, focusing on aggregates, asphalt mix, concrete, and cement [1] Performance Overview - VMC shares have underperformed the broader market, gaining only 1.1% over the past year compared to a 12.3% increase in the S&P 500 Index [2] - Year-to-date, VMC stock is up 9.6%, lagging behind the S&P 500's 12.5% rise [2] - Compared to the Invesco Building & Construction ETF, which gained 9.1% over the past year and 20% year-to-date, VMC's performance is notably weaker [3] Financial Results - In Q3, VMC reported revenues of $2.29 billion, a 14.4% increase year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA rising 26.5% to approximately $735 million [4] - Aggregates shipments increased by around 12% to 64.7 million tons, driven by strong demand from public infrastructure projects, alongside improved pricing and reduced unit cash costs [4] - The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, projecting adjusted EBITDA between $2.35 billion and $2.45 billion [4] Earnings Expectations - Analysts forecast VMC's EPS to grow by 11.8% to $8.42 on a diluted basis for the current fiscal year ending in December [5] - VMC has a mixed earnings surprise history, beating consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters [5] - Among 22 analysts covering VMC, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," with 15 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and six "Holds" [5] Analyst Insights - DA Davidson analyst Brent Thielman raised the price target for VMC to $330 from $315, maintaining a "Buy" rating after the Q3 earnings beat [7] - Thielman noted that while the surge in Q3 volumes may not be sustainable due to current market conditions, earnings growth into FY26 is still seen as achievable, supported by disciplined cost management and incremental pricing for aggregates [7]

Core Insights - Baron Real Estate Fund delivered a strong performance in Q3 2025, appreciating 10.25% compared to the MSCI US REIT Index's 4.49% and the MSCI USA IMI Extended Real Estate Index's 5.65% [1] Company Overview - CRH plc is a leading building materials solutions provider headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with a market capitalization of $75.457 billion as of November 11, 2025 [2] - The stock of CRH plc experienced a one-month return of -5.00% but gained 13.58% over the last 52 weeks, closing at $112.65 per share [2] Performance Analysis - CRH plc's shares performed well in the recent quarter due to strong quarterly results and a successful Investor Day [3] - The company is the largest supplier of building materials such as aggregates, cement, asphalt, and concrete in North America and Europe, serving housing, infrastructure, and commercial projects [3] Business Model - CRH plc employs a vertically integrated approach, selling both upstream materials (aggregates and cement) and downstream materials (asphalt and concrete) [3] - This strategy aims to maximize returns on raw material reserves by profiting from both upstream sales and related product offerings that utilize these materials [3]

Core Insights - Eagle Materials Inc. reported earnings per share (EPS) of $8.72, significantly exceeding the estimated EPS of $4.35 [1][5] - The company's revenue for the quarter ending in September 2025 was approximately $638.9 million, surpassing the estimated $635.5 million, and representing a 2.5% year-over-year increase [2][5] Financial Metrics - The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of Eagle Materials Inc. is approximately 11.93, indicating the market's valuation of its earnings [3][5] - The price-to-sales ratio stands at about 3.08, reflecting the market's valuation of its revenue [3] - The enterprise value to sales ratio is around 3.39, suggesting how the market values the company's total value in relation to its sales [3] Debt and Liquidity - The company's debt-to-equity ratio is approximately 0.50, indicating a moderate level of debt relative to its equity [4] - The current ratio is about 2.72, demonstrating the company's ability to cover its short-term liabilities with its short-term assets [4]

Core Insights - GCC, S.A.B. de C.V. reported a 10.1% increase in net sales for Q3 2025, reaching US$438.5 million compared to US$398.2 million in Q3 2024 [3][5] - The company experienced a decline in operating income and EBITDA, with operating income before other expenses decreasing by 6.3% to US$128.8 million and EBITDA down by 2.9% to US$157.4 million [3][5] - Free cash flow increased by 8.9% to US$132.4 million, with a conversion rate of 84.1% [5] Financial Performance - Net sales for the first nine months of 2025 were US$1,048.9 million, a 1.7% increase from US$1,031.4 million in the same period of 2024 [3] - Net income for Q3 2025 was US$100.9 million, down 6.0% from US$107.3 million in Q3 2024, while earnings per share decreased by 6.1% to US$0.3076 [3][5] - The EBITDA margin for Q3 2025 was 35.9%, compared to 40.7% in Q3 2024 [3] Market Performance - U.S. sales grew by 14%, driven by a 52.7% increase in concrete volumes and a 6.4% increase in cement volumes [5] - U.S. concrete prices rose by 11% [5] - Cash and equivalents totaled US$853.7 million, with a net leverage ratio of -0.55x as of September 2025 [5] Strategic Focus - The CEO emphasized the company's commitment to cost control, operational stability, and long-term value creation through investments [4]

Group 1 - CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) is recognized for its strong performance in the building materials sector, with a recent increase of approximately 34% in stock value [1] - The company provides a range of construction solutions, including cement, aggregates, concrete, asphalt, and precast products, catering to infrastructure, commercial, and residential projects [1] - Despite the positive outlook for CRH, some analysts suggest that other companies like Martin Marietta Materials and Vulcan Materials may be better investment options in the building materials space [1] Group 2 - There is a belief that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential compared to CRH, with less downside risk associated with them [2] - The article hints at the potential benefits of investing in undervalued AI stocks that could gain from Trump-era tariffs and the trend of onshoring [2]

Company Overview - Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) supplies aggregates, cement, concrete, and asphalt for construction, infrastructure, and industrial projects [2] - The company also produces magnesia-based chemicals and dolomitic lime used in steelmaking, soil stabilization, and environmental applications [2] Stock Performance - The stock recently hit a 52-week high and is currently up 36% from previous lows [1] - Over the past few years, the company has benefited significantly from federal infrastructure spending, with a noted 38% increase in stock price since April [2] Analyst Insights - Jim Cramer advised to hold MLM shares, indicating it is a great long-term investment, and compared it to Vulcan Materials as part of a duopoly in the industry [1] - Cramer highlighted that there is still substantial funding available from Biden's infrastructure package, which could further benefit the company [2]