MLM vs. RIO: Martin Marietta Materials vs. Rio Tinto Stock Comparison
How do Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) and Rio Tinto (RIO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) and Rio Tinto (RIO) both fall under the Materials industry group, but MLM is classified in Construction Materials while RIO is classified in Metals & Mining.
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) trades as ordinary local shares, while Rio Tinto (RIO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | Rio Tinto plc ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Construction Materials | Metals & Mining |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Construction Materials | Diversified Metals & Mining |
| Market Capitalization | 36.85 billion USD | 136.19 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 17, 1994 | June 28, 1990 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -12.23% | 30.54% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 6.32% | 16.90% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 5.43% | 14.68% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 29.72% | 30.72% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.02 | 0.63 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -33.19% | -35.25% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 805.11K | 2.35M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.56 | 0.85 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.75 | 1.26 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 6.02% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.31% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
MLM
Materials industry group
6.02%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- MLM
- 6.02%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
RIO
Materials industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- RIO
- 19.31%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 31.88% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.59% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
MLM
Materials industry group
31.88%
- Max
- 38.66%
- MLM
- 31.88%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
RIO
Materials industry group
19.59%
- Max
- 38.66%
- RIO
- 19.59%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 22.29% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 28.05% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
MLM
Materials industry group
22.29%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- MLM
- 22.29%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
RIO
Materials industry group
28.05%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- RIO
- 28.05%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 6.02% | 19.31% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.27% | 8.11% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.88% | 19.59% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 22.29% | 28.05% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 26.74% | 29.75% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 8.62% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 7.42% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at -42.09% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at -13.97% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.62% | 7.42% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -0.06% | 1.24% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -42.09% | -13.97% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.61% | -7.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 1.63 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 1.42 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for RIO.
MLM
Materials industry group
1.63
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- MLM
- 1.63
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
RIO
Materials industry group
1.42
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- RIO
- 1.42
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 0.75 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 0.32 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
MLM
Materials industry group
0.75
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- MLM
- 0.75
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
RIO
Materials industry group
0.32
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- RIO
- 0.32
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.63 | 1.42 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.75 | 0.32 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.88 | 0.58 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 0.63% pays an industry-typical yield; Rio Tinto (RIO) at 5.59% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.
MLM
Materials industry group
0.63%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- MLM
- 0.63%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RIO
Materials industry group
5.59%
- RIO
- 5.59%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 24.85% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 54.46% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
MLM
Materials industry group
24.85%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- MLM
- 24.85%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RIO
Materials industry group
54.46%
- Max
- 83.62%
- RIO
- 54.46%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.63% | 5.59% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 24.85% | 54.46% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Rio Tinto (RIO) at 11.35 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 38.67 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
MLM
Materials industry group
38.67
- Max
- 59.00
- MLM
- 38.67
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
RIO
Materials industry group
11.35
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- RIO
- 11.35
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.20 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 5.11 sits in the pricier quartile — MLM costs more per dollar of sales.
MLM
Materials industry group
5.11
- Max
- 9.62
- MLM
- 5.11
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
RIO
Materials industry group
2.20
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- RIO
- 2.20
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 2.09 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.08 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
MLM
Materials industry group
2.09
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- MLM
- 2.09
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
RIO
Materials industry group
2.08
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- RIO
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MLM | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 38.67 | 11.35 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.11 | 2.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.09 | 2.08 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.54% | 2.64% |