COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
USLM vs VMC
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. USLM scored 52.0, VMC scored 52.2 — VMC leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. USLM's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but VMC's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
USLM
United States Lime & Minerals, Inc.
52
$118.89 · $3.4B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
0.2
VMC leads
VMC
Vulcan Materials Company
52.2
$276.04 · $35.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestUSLM25.5x
- Fastest growthVMC+7.4%
- Strongest balance sheetUSLM0.00
- Highest qualityUSLM88 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
USLM
stronger →← stronger
VMC
88
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
67
50
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
50
32
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
42
USLM and VMC split the three pillars evenly.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
USLM
VMC
$92mC-
FCF
$1.1bC+
+7.0%C+
Rev
+7.4%B
0.00A
D/E
0.58C+
25.5xB
P/E
32.6xC
1.96C+
PEG
2.38C
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
USLM
VMC
57% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
65% above
~19%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~24%/yr
-44%
1-yr DCF upside
-50%
-36%
5-yr DCF upside
-39%
-23%
10-yr DCF upside
-20%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
USLM
Why this score
- Durable high returns
- Cyclical growth
VMC
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Cyclical growth
The companies
USLMUnited States Lime & Minerals, Inc.
Why now
Building Materials · market cap $3.4b. 16% off the 52-week high of $141.44.
Moat
Net margin 36% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 19% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. Mining moat is reserve quality + extraction cost per unit — top-quartile cost producers generate cash through the commodity cycle while marginal producers burn it.
Risk
Jurisdictional + permitting risk — mining and extraction operations concentrate exposure to political stability, royalty regimes, and environmental review timelines that can stall production for years.
VMCVulcan Materials Company
Why now
Building Materials · market cap $35.8b. 17% off the 52-week high of $331.09. 22 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $325.55 (implying +18% upside).
Moat
Net margin 14% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 13% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. FCF converts 100% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Trailing P/E 33x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. Production-cost sensitivity — top-quartile cost producers generate cash through the cycle while marginal producers burn it; watch the cost-per-unit trend, not just headline revenue.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where USLM and VMC diverge
The two are effectively level on the headline score. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- QualityUSLM 88.3 · VMC 67.3USLM +21.0
- ValueUSLM 31.8 · VMC 42.2VMC +10.4
- GrowthUSLM 50.0 · VMC 50.0level
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.