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AU vs. VMC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

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Here’s a clear look at AU and VMC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AU’s market capitalization stands at 23.52 billion USD, while VMC’s is 35.17 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

VMC carries a higher beta at 0.84, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AU (beta: 0.49) exhibits greater stability.

SymbolAUVMC
Company NameAngloGold Ashanti PlcVulcan Materials Company
CountryGBUS
SectorBasic MaterialsBasic Materials
IndustryGoldConstruction Materials
CEOAlberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ,James Thomas Hill
Price46.71 USD266.24 USD
Market Cap23.52 billion USD35.17 billion USD
Beta0.490.84
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateAugust 5, 1998January 2, 1957
ADRNoNo

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AU and VMC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AU vs. VMC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AU

25.86%

Gold Industry

Max
25.86%
Q3
12.48%
Median
8.15%
Q1
2.34%
Min
-3.82%

In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Equity of 25.86% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

VMC

11.79%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
32.32%
Q3
20.74%
Median
15.42%
Q1
12.55%
Min
11.55%

VMC’s Return on Equity of 11.79% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AU

12.23%

Gold Industry

Max
20.84%
Q3
9.90%
Median
5.11%
Q1
1.36%
Min
-10.62%

In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Invested Capital of 12.23% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

VMC

7.04%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
15.45%
Q3
12.02%
Median
9.68%
Q1
7.11%
Min
7.02%

VMC’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.04% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This indicates a less efficient conversion of invested capital into profit compared to most of its competitors.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AU

17.91%

Gold Industry

Max
26.48%
Q3
21.01%
Median
16.48%
Q1
8.22%
Min
-6.63%

AU’s Net Profit Margin of 17.91% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Gold industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

VMC

12.50%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
20.50%
Q3
16.08%
Median
10.94%
Q1
9.16%
Min
4.73%

VMC’s Net Profit Margin of 12.50% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Construction Materials industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AU

29.67%

Gold Industry

Max
67.43%
Q3
40.39%
Median
30.64%
Q1
19.83%
Min
-9.84%

AU’s Operating Profit Margin of 29.67% is around the midpoint for the Gold industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

VMC

18.96%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
26.51%
Q3
22.33%
Median
18.96%
Q1
12.92%
Min
6.22%

VMC’s Operating Profit Margin of 18.96% is around the midpoint for the Construction Materials industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAUVMC
Return on Equity (TTM)25.86%11.79%
Return on Assets (TTM)10.37%5.61%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)12.23%7.04%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)17.91%12.50%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)29.67%18.96%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)35.78%44.35%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AU

2.34

Gold Industry

Max
4.98
Q3
3.76
Median
2.34
Q1
1.51
Min
0.52

AU’s Current Ratio of 2.34 aligns with the median group of the Gold industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

VMC

2.42

Construction Materials Industry

Max
2.94
Q3
2.73
Median
2.25
Q1
1.63
Min
0.87

VMC’s Current Ratio of 2.42 aligns with the median group of the Construction Materials industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AU

0.33

Gold Industry

Max
0.67
Q3
0.34
Median
0.17
Q1
0.06
Min
0.00

AU’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Gold industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

VMC

0.67

Construction Materials Industry

Max
0.88
Q3
0.71
Median
0.53
Q1
0.21
Min
0.01

VMC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Construction Materials industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AU

14.20

Gold Industry

Max
45.23
Q3
25.79
Median
13.44
Q1
2.91
Min
-6.26

AU’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Gold industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

VMC

6.72

Construction Materials Industry

Max
32.44
Q3
18.11
Median
7.75
Q1
5.31
Min
3.30

VMC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.72 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Construction Materials industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAUVMC
Current Ratio (TTM)2.342.42
Quick Ratio (TTM)1.571.51
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.330.67
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.170.33
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)0.252.55
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)14.206.72

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AU and VMC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AU

0.27%

Gold Industry

Max
3.65%
Q3
1.37%
Median
0.47%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

AU’s Dividend Yield of 0.27% is consistent with its peers in the Gold industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

VMC

0.71%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
8.35%
Q3
1.57%
Median
0.61%
Q1
0.22%
Min
0.00%

VMC’s Dividend Yield of 0.71% is consistent with its peers in the Construction Materials industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AU

45.43%

Gold Industry

Max
110.70%
Q3
42.09%
Median
15.45%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

AU’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.43% is in the upper quartile for the Gold industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

VMC

26.48%

Construction Materials Industry

Max
86.74%
Q3
26.48%
Median
13.85%
Q1
4.99%
Min
0.00%

VMC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 26.48% is within the typical range for the Construction Materials industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAUVMC
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.27%0.71%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)45.43%26.48%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AU

16.93

Gold Industry

Max
64.00
Q3
46.06
Median
29.03
Q1
16.74
Min
1.00

AU’s P/E Ratio of 16.93 is within the middle range for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

VMC

37.57

Construction Materials Industry

Max
37.00
Q3
25.95
Median
18.83
Q1
14.75
Min
6.99

At 37.57, VMC’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Construction Materials industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AU

-0.86

Gold Industry

Max
14.01
Q3
6.52
Median
3.33
Q1
0.82
Min
0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Gold industry.

VMC

2.42

Construction Materials Industry

Max
2.56
Q3
2.21
Median
1.91
Q1
1.46
Min
0.48

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Construction Materials industry.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AU

3.03

Gold Industry

Max
15.12
Q3
7.63
Median
3.25
Q1
2.30
Min
0.79

AU’s P/S Ratio of 3.03 aligns with the market consensus for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

VMC

4.69

Construction Materials Industry

Max
5.00
Q3
3.98
Median
2.34
Q1
1.52
Min
0.50

VMC’s P/S Ratio of 4.69 is in the upper echelon for the Construction Materials industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AU

3.47

Gold Industry

Max
6.10
Q3
3.60
Median
2.02
Q1
1.35
Min
0.26

AU’s P/B Ratio of 3.47 is within the conventional range for the Gold industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

VMC

4.33

Construction Materials Industry

Max
5.60
Q3
4.69
Median
3.33
Q1
1.80
Min
0.76

VMC’s P/B Ratio of 4.33 is within the conventional range for the Construction Materials industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

AU vs. VMC: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Gold and Construction Materials industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAUVMC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)16.9337.57
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)-0.862.42
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)3.034.69
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)3.474.33
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)18.1340.47
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)7.9419.56
EV-to-Sales (TTM)3.135.39