PR Newswire | Feb 16, 2021 07:30AM EST

02/16 06:30 CST

Vulcan Reports Fourth Quarter And Full Year ResultsStrong Full-Year Results Reflect Improvements in Aggregates Unit ProfitabilitySolid Earnings Growth Expected in 2021 BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 16, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC), the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, today announced results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020.

Tom Hill, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our best-in-class aggregates business, along with the efforts and dedication of our employees, allowed us to overcome COVID-19 related disruptions in 2020. Most impressive, we delivered year-over-year gains in aggregates unit profitability throughout each quarter in 2020. Our ability to leverage Vulcan's four strategic disciplines enabled us to expand unit margins, deliver improved cash flows, and increase returns on invested capital. Our team's hard work along with Vulcan's leading market positions and strong financial footing will enable us to capitalize on an improving demand outlook in 2021."

Net earnings were $115 million in the fourth quarter, and Adjusted EBITDA was $311 million. Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA increased 4 percent despite a 1 percent decline in total revenues. Effective cost management throughout the organization and aggregates price growth helped drive margin expansion.

Full year revenues were $4.86 billion, 1 percent lower than the prior year, while gross profit margins expanded across each segment driving an improvement of 150 basis points in the Company's EBITDA margin. Net earnings were $584 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was a record $1.324 billion.

Mr. Hill continued, "Construction employment gains in key markets are a positive signal that activity levels are recovering across our footprint, as compelling fundamentals in residential construction support growing demand in 2021. Shipments into private nonresidential continue to benefit from growth in heavy industrial projects such as data centers and warehouses, while construction starts in other categories remain below the prior year. Recent improvements in highway lettings and contract awards indicate growing confidence and visibility fueling advancement of planned projects, particularly in the second half of 2021. The pricing environment remains positive, and we continue to execute at a high level, positioning us well for 2021. We expect our 2021 Adjusted EBITDA will range between $1.340 billion to $1.440 billion."

Highlights as of December 31, 2020 include:

Fourth Quarter Full Year

Amounts in millions, except per unit data 2020 2019 2020 2019

Total revenues $ 1,175.1 $ 1,186.2 $ 4,856.8 $ 4,929.1

Gross profit $ 302.7 $ 293.1 $ 1,281.5 $ 1,255.9

Aggregates segment

Segment sales $ 956.5 $ 960.2 $ 3,944.3 $ 3,990.3

Freight-adjusted revenues $ 737.3 $ 720.6 $ 3,007.6 $ 3,014.2

Gross profit $ 276.0 $ 274.5 $ 1,159.2 $ 1,146.6

Shipments (tons) 51.1 51.6 208.3 215.5

Freight-adjusted sales price per ton $ 14.42 $ 13.96 $ 14.44 $ 13.99

Gross profit per ton $ 5.40 $ 5.32 $ 5.57 $ 5.32

Asphalt, Concrete & Calcium segment gross profit $ 26.7 $ 18.6 $ 122.3 $ 109.3

Selling, Administrative and General (SAG) $ 98.6 $ 95.8 $ 359.8 $ 370.5

SAG as % of Total revenues 8.4% 8.1% 7.4% 7.5%

Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes $ 141.2 $ 166.0 $ 743.8 $ 757.7

Net earnings $ 114.5 $ 141.1 $ 584.5 $ 617.7

Adjusted EBIT $ 210.3 $ 202.8 $ 926.7 $ 895.4

Adjusted EBITDA $ 311.2 $ 298.5 $ 1,323.5 $ 1,270.0

Earnings from continuing operations per diluted share $ 0.87 $ 1.07 $ 4.41 $ 4.67

Adjusted earnings from continuing operations per diluted share $ 1.07 $ 1.08 $ 4.68 $ 4.70

Reported earnings from continuing operations for the year were $588 million, or $4.41 per diluted share. Comparing adjusted earnings from continuing operations of $4.68 per diluted share in 2020 to $4.70 per diluted share in 2019, the prior year benefited from a lower tax rate due to certain tax benefits and credits that were higher than in 2020. The effect of the resulting higher tax rate in 2020 was $0.18 per diluted share.

Segment Results

Aggregates

Fourth quarter gross profit increased to $276 million due to growth in pricing and effective cost control, despite a 1 percent decline in shipments. Gains in unit profitability were widespread and marked the fourth consecutive quarter of growth in gross profit per ton. For the full year, gross profit per ton increased 5 percent, despite 3 percent lower volumes. This growth marks the tenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvement in the Company's trailing-twelve-month unit profitability.

The pricing environment continues to be positive across the Company's footprint. On a mix-adjusted basis, all of the Company's markets reported full year price growth. For the year, mix-adjusted pricing increased 3.1 percent (reported freight-adjusted sales price increased 3.2 percent) despite a 3 percent decline in shipments. For the quarter, mix-adjusted sales price increased 1.8 percent, and reported freight-adjusted pricing increased 3.3 percent.

Fourth quarter operating efficiencies and lower diesel fuel costs helped to mitigate increased spending to remove overburden ahead of future shipments and the timing of repair costs. The Aggregates segment earnings impact from lower diesel fuel cost was $8 million in the quarter. For the full year, freight-adjusted unit cost of sales increased 2 percent and 1 percent on a cash basis. Flexible operating plans, disciplined cost control, and lower diesel fuel costs mitigated the impact of operational disruptions caused by the pandemic during the year.

Asphalt, Concrete and Calcium

Fourth quarter gross profit increased sharply in each segment. Asphalt segment gross profit increased 53 percent to $17 million in the fourth quarter. The year-over-year improvement was driven by higher material margins (sales price less unit cost of raw materials). Segment earnings benefited from price discipline and effective cost containment, including lower liquid asphalt costs. Shipments in the current year's quarter were lower than the prior year, as prior year shipments included certain large projects in the Arizona and Tennessee markets.

Fourth quarter concrete segment gross profit increased 28 percent to $9 million as a result of higher material margins. Shipments decreased 12 percent versus the prior year, and average selling prices increased 2 percent compared to the prior year. Fourth quarter shipments were impacted by the lingering effects of cement supply shortages in Northern California.

Calcium segment gross profit was $1.2 million versus $0.8 million in the prior year quarter.

Full year segment earnings increased 12 percent collectively, driven by strong year-over-year improvement in asphalt. Each segment reported year-over-year margin expansion on lower revenues.

Selling, Administrative and General (SAG) and Other Nonoperating Expense

SAG expense was $99 million in the quarter and $360 million for the full year. As a percentage of total revenues, SAG expense was 7.4 percent in 2020. The Company remains focused on further leveraging its overhead cost structure.

Other nonoperating expense was $21 million, compared to income of $3 million in the prior year quarter. This year-over-year change resulted from a non-cash pension settlement charge of $23 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, recorded in the fourth quarter in connection with a voluntary lump sum distribution of benefits to certain fully vested plan participants. This action will benefit future expense and funding requirements.

Financial Position, Liquidity and Capital Allocation

Capital expenditures in the fourth quarter were $132 million and $361 million for the full year, most of which was directed toward core operating and maintenance projects. During the fourth quarter, the Company restarted planned growth projects that were put on hold in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic. In 2021, the Company expects to spend between $450 and $475 million on capital expenditures, including growth projects. The Company will continue to review its plans and will adjust as needed, while being thoughtful about preserving liquidity.

In 2020, the Company returned $180 million to shareholders through dividends, a 10 percent increase versus the prior year. For the year, the Company repurchased $26 million in common stock.

At year end, total debt to trailing-twelve month Adjusted EBITDA was 2.5 times or 1.6 times on a net debt basis reflecting $1.2 billion of cash on hand. Approximately $500 million will be used to pay off certain debt maturities due in March 2021. The Company's weighted-average debt maturity was 13 years, and the effective weighted-average interest rate was 4.1 percent.

Return on invested capital increased 40 basis points from the prior year to 14.3 percent. Operating cash flows were $1.1 billion, up 9 percent versus the previous year. Solid operating earnings growth coupled with disciplined capital management led to these results.

Outlook

Regarding the Company's outlook, Mr. Hill stated, "We are encouraged by the continued strength in residential construction activity, particularly single-family housing. Our expectation is also supported by the recent improvement in highway awards and construction employment trends in key markets. Data centers, distribution centers, and warehouses, which now comprise the largest share of new private nonresidential project awards, will continue to underpin demand in this end market. We believe these leading indicators, along with sustaining a positive pricing environment, can be a catalyst for further recovery in construction activity during 2021."

Management expectations for 2021 include:

* Aggregates shipments down 2 percent to up 2 percent versus 2020 * Year-over-year aggregates freight-adjusted price increase of 2 to 4 percent * Asphalt, Concrete and Calcium gross profit up mid-to-high single digits * SAG expenses of $365 to $375 million * Interest expense of approximately $130 million * Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization expense of approximately $400 million * An effective tax rate of approximately 21 percent * Earnings from continuing operations of $4.80 to $5.40 per diluted share * Adjusted EBITDA of $1.340 to $1.440 billion * No major changes in COVID shelter-in-place restrictions

Mr. Hill concluded, "As we saw in 2020, demand for our products can be subject to market fluctuations outside of our control. That said, we remained focused on the factors within our control, including our pricing and cost actions, both of which contributed to further improvement in our industry-leading unit margins in 2020. We will carry that determination through 2021 and beyond. Our operating plans are underpinned by our four strategic disciplines (Commercial and Operational Excellence, Logistics Innovation and Strategic Sourcing), a healthy balance sheet, strong liquidity, and the engagement of our people."

Conference Call

Vulcan will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. CT on February 16, 2021. A webcast will be available via the Company's website at www.vulcanmaterials.com. Investors and other interested parties may access the teleconference live by calling 833-962-1439, or 832-900-4623 if outside the U.S., approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start. The conference ID is 5378297. The conference call will be recorded and available for replay at the Company's website approximately two hours after the call.

About Vulcan Materials Company

Vulcan Materials Company, a member of the S&P 500 Index with headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates - primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel - and a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete. For additional information about Vulcan, go to www.vulcanmaterials.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT DISCLAIMER

This document contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical fact, including statements about Vulcan's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Generally, these statements relate to future financial performance, results of operations, business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated revenues, expenses, earnings (including EBITDA and other measures), dividend policy, shipment volumes, pricing, levels of capital expenditures, intended cost reductions and cost savings, anticipated profit improvements and/or planned divestitures and asset sales. These forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "believe," "should," "would," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "can," "may" or similar expressions elsewhere in this document. These statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to general business conditions, competitive factors, pricing, energy costs, and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports Vulcan periodically files with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results, developments, and business decisions may vary significantly from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. The following risks related to Vulcan's business, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: general economic and business conditions; a pandemic, epidemic or other public health emergency, such as the recent outbreak of COVID-19; Vulcan's dependence on the construction industry, which is subject to economic cycles; the timing and amount of federal, state and local funding for infrastructure; changes in the level of spending for private residential and private nonresidential construction; changes in Vulcan's effective tax rate; the increasing reliance on information technology infrastructure, including the risks that the infrastructure does not work as intended, experiences technical difficulties or is subjected to cyber-attacks; the impact of the state of the global economy on Vulcan's businesses and financial condition and access to capital markets; the highly competitive nature of the construction industry; the impact of future regulatory or legislative actions, including those relating to climate change, wetlands, greenhouse gas emissions, the definition of minerals, tax policy or international trade; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; pricing of Vulcan's products; weather and other natural phenomena, including the impact of climate change and availability of water; energy costs; costs of hydrocarbon-based raw materials; healthcare costs; the amount of long-term debt and interest expense incurred by Vulcan; changes in interest rates; the impact of a discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR); volatility in pension plan asset values and liabilities, which may require cash contributions to the pension plans; the impact of environmental cleanup costs and other liabilities relating to existing and/or divested businesses; Vulcan's ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; Vulcan's ability to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions; the effect of changes in tax laws, guidance and interpretations; significant downturn in the construction industry may result in the impairment of goodwill or long-lived assets; changes in technologies, which could disrupt the way Vulcan does business and how Vulcan's products are distributed; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the reports filed by Vulcan with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Vulcan disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this document except as required by law.

Table A

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

Consolidated Statements of Earnings December 31 December 31

(Condensed and unaudited) 2020 2019 2020 2019

Total revenues $1,175,120 $1,186,152 $4,856,826 $4,929,103

Cost of revenues 872,379 893,071 3,575,345 3,673,202

Gross profit 302,741 293,081 1,281,481 1,255,901

Selling, administrative and general expenses 98,627 95,801 359,772 370,548

Gain on sale of property, plant & equipment

and businesses 1,681 12,770 3,997 23,752

Other operating expense, net (9,366) (16,474) (29,975) (31,647)

Operating earnings 196,429 193,576 895,731 877,458

Other nonoperating income (expense), net (21,357) 3,289 (17,540) 9,243

Interest expense, net 33,884 30,835 134,393 129,000

Earnings from continuing operations

before income taxes 141,188 166,030 743,798 757,701

Income tax expense 25,273 23,434 155,803 135,198

Earnings from continuing operations 115,915 142,596 587,995 622,503

Loss on discontinued operations, net of tax (1,397) (1,504) (3,515) (4,841)

Net earnings $114,518 $141,092 $584,480 $617,662

Basic earnings (loss) per share

Continuing operations $0.87 $1.08 $4.44 $4.71

Discontinued operations ($0.01) ($0.01) ($0.03) ($0.04)

Net earnings $0.86 $1.07 $4.41 $4.67

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

Continuing operations $0.87 $1.07 $4.41 $4.67

Discontinued operations ($0.01) ($0.01) ($0.02) ($0.04)

Net earnings $0.86 $1.06 $4.39 $4.63

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

Basic 132,619 132,467 132,578 132,300

Assuming dilution 133,367 133,467 133,245 133,385

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization $100,894 $95,671 $396,806 $374,596

Effective tax rate from continuing operations 17.9% 14.1% 20.9% 17.8%

Table B

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in thousands)

Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31 December 31

(Condensed and unaudited) 2020 2019

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents $1,197,068 $271,589

Restricted cash 945 2,917

Accounts and notes receivable

Accounts and notes receivable, gross 558,848 573,241

Allowance for doubtful accounts (2,551) (3,125)

Accounts and notes receivable, net 556,297 570,116

Inventories

Finished products 378,389 391,666

Raw materials 33,780 31,318

Products in process 4,555 5,604

Operating supplies and other 31,861 29,720

Inventories 448,585 458,308

Other current assets 74,270 76,396

Total current assets 2,277,165 1,379,326

Investments and long-term receivables 34,301 60,709

Property, plant & equipment

Property, plant & equipment, cost 9,102,086 8,749,217

Allowances for depreciation, depletion & amortization (4,676,087) (4,433,179)

Property, plant & equipment, net 4,425,999 4,316,038

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 423,128 408,189

Goodwill 3,172,112 3,167,061

Other intangible assets, net 1,123,544 1,091,475

Other noncurrent assets 230,656 225,995

Total assets $11,686,905 $10,648,793

Liabilities

Current maturities of long-term debt 515,435 25

Trade payables and accruals 273,080 265,159

Other current liabilities 259,368 270,379

Total current liabilities 1,047,883 535,563

Long-term debt 2,772,240 2,784,315

Deferred income taxes, net 706,050 633,039

Deferred revenue 174,045 179,880

Operating lease liabilities 399,582 388,042

Other noncurrent liabilities 559,775 506,097

Total liabilities $5,659,575 $5,026,936

Equity

Common stock, $1 par value 132,516 132,371

Capital in excess of par value 2,802,012 2,791,353

Retained earnings 3,274,107 2,895,871

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (181,305) (197,738)

Total equity $6,027,330 $5,621,857

Total liabilities and equity $11,686,905 $10,648,793

Table C

Vulcan Materials Company

and Subsidiary Companies

(in thousands)

Twelve Months Ended

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows December 31

(Condensed and unaudited) 2020 2019

Operating Activities

Net earnings $584,480 $617,662

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operatingactivities

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization 396,806 374,596

Noncash operating lease expense 38,272 35,344

Net gain on sale of property, plant & equipment and businesses (3,997) (23,752)

Contributions to pension plans (8,819) (8,882)

Share-based compensation expense 32,991 31,843

Deferred tax expense 62,018 76,011

Changes in assets and liabilities before initial

effects of business acquisitions and dispositions (39,710) (147,218)

Other, net 8,318 28,518

Net cash provided by operating activities $1,070,359 $984,122

Investing Activities

Purchases of property, plant & equipment (362,194) (384,094)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment 11,461 22,661

Proceeds from sale of businesses 968 1,744

Payment for businesses acquired, net of acquired cash (43,223) (44,151)

Other, net 11,474 (11,997)

Net cash used for investing activities ($381,514) ($415,837)

Financing Activities

Proceeds from short-term debt 0 366,900

Payment of short-term debt 0 (499,900)

Payment of current maturities and long-term debt (250,025) (23)

Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 750,000 0

Debt issuance and exchange costs (15,394) 0

Settlements of interest rate derivatives (19,863) 0

Purchases of common stock (26,132) (2,602)

Dividends paid (180,216) (163,973)

Share-based compensation, shares withheld for taxes (22,144) (38,522)

Other, net (1,564) (63)

Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities $234,662 ($338,183)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 923,507 230,102

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year 274,506 44,404

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year $1,198,013 $274,506

Table D

Segment Financial Data and Unit Shipments

(in thousands, except per unit data)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Total Revenues

Aggregates ^1 $956,502 $960,164 $3,944,286 $3,990,275

Asphalt ^2 194,665 206,331 792,605 855,821

Concrete 85,362 95,258 383,617 395,627

Calcium 2,451 2,118 7,720 8,191

Segment sales $1,238,980 $1,263,871 $5,128,228 $5,249,914

Aggregates intersegment sales (63,860) (77,719) (271,402) (320,811)

Total revenues $1,175,120 $1,186,152 $4,856,826 $4,929,103

Gross Profit

Aggregates $275,994 $274,516 $1,159,178 $1,146,649

Asphalt 16,987 11,073 75,233 63,023

Concrete 8,562 6,664 44,159 43,151

Calcium 1,198 828 2,911 3,078

Total $302,741 $293,081 $1,281,481 $1,255,901

Depreciation, Depletion, Accretion and Amortization

Aggregates $80,757 $77,787 $321,127 $305,046

Asphalt 8,910 8,856 34,956 35,199

Concrete 3,940 3,958 16,010 13,620

Calcium 43 55 189 232

Other 7,244 5,015 24,524 20,499

Total $100,894 $95,671 $396,806 $374,596

Average Unit Sales Price and Unit Shipments

Aggregates

Freight-adjusted revenues ^3 $737,313 $720,584 $3,007,634 $3,014,157

Aggregates - tons 51,132 51,620 208,295 215,465

Freight-adjusted sales price ^4 $14.42 $13.96 $14.44 $13.99

Other Products

Asphalt Mix - tons 2,882 3,041 11,835 12,665

Asphalt Mix - sales price $57.70 $57.87 $57.97 $57.79

Ready-mixed concrete - cubic yards 656 744 2,951 3,104

Ready-mixed concrete - sales price $128.93 $126.97 $128.93 $126.38

Calcium - tons 88 78 282 294

Calcium - sales price $27.64 $27.30 $27.32 $27.85

Includes product sales (crushed stone, sand and gravel, sand, and other^1 aggregates), as well as freight & delivery costs that we pass along to our customers, and service revenues related to aggregates.

^2 Includes product sales, as well as service revenues from our asphalt construction paving business.

Freight-adjusted revenues are Aggregates segment sales excluding freight &^3 delivery revenues and immaterial other revenues related to services, such as landfill tipping fees, that are derived from our aggregates business.

^4 Freight-adjusted sales price is calculated as freight-adjusted revenues divided by aggregates unit shipments.

Appendix 1

1. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

Aggregates segment freight-adjusted revenues is not a Generally AcceptedAccounting Principle (GAAP) measure. We presentthis metric as it is consistent with the basis by which we review our operatingresults. We believe that this presentation isconsistent with our competitors and meaningful to our investors as it excludesrevenues associated with freight & delivery, whichare pass-through activities. It also excludes immaterial other revenues relatedto services, such as landfill tipping fees, that arederived from our aggregates business. Additionally, we use this metric as thebasis for calculating the average sales price of ouraggregates products. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measureis presented below:

Aggregates Segment Freight-Adjusted Revenues



(in thousands, except per ton data)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Aggregates segment

Segment sales $956,502 $960,164 $3,944,286 $3,990,275

Less: Freight & delivery revenues ^1 205,034 225,139 877,003 921,064

Other revenues 14,155 14,441 59,649 55,054

Freight-adjusted revenues $737,313 $720,584 $3,007,634 $3,014,157

Unit shipment - tons 51,132 51,620 208,295 215,465

Freight-adjusted sales price $14.42 $13.96 $14.44 $13.99

At the segment level, freight & delivery revenues include intersegment freight^1 & delivery (which are eliminated at the consolidated level) and freight to remote distribution sites.

Aggregates segment incremental gross profit flow-through rate is not a GAAPmeasure and represents the year-over-yearchange in gross profit divided by the year-over-year change in segment salesexcluding freight & delivery (revenues and costs).We present this metric as it is consistent with the basis by which we reviewour operating results. We believe that this presentationis consistent with our competitors and meaningful to our investors as itexcludes revenues associated with freight & delivery,which are pass-through activities. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearestGAAP measure is presented below:

Aggregates Segment Incremental Gross Profit Margin in Accordance with GAAP

(dollars in thousands)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Aggregates segment

Gross profit $275,994 $274,516 $1,159,178 $1,146,649

Segment sales $956,502 $960,164 $3,944,286 $3,990,275

Gross profit margin 28.9% 28.6% 29.4% 28.7%

Incremental gross profit margin N/A N/A

Aggregates Segment Incremental Gross Profit Flow-through Rate (Non-GAAP)

(dollars in thousands)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Aggregates segment

Gross profit $275,994 $274,516 $1,159,178 $1,146,649

Segment sales $956,502 $960,164 $3,944,286 $3,990,275

Less: Freight & delivery revenues ^1 205,034 225,139 877,003 921,064

Segment sales excluding freight & delivery $751,468 $735,025 $3,067,283 $3,069,211

Gross profit margin excluding freight & delivery 36.7% 37.3% 37.8% 37.4%

Incremental gross profit flow-through rate 9.0% N/A

At the segment level, freight & delivery revenues include intersegment freight^1 & delivery (which are eliminated at the consolidated level) and freight to remote distribution sites.

GAAP does not define "Aggregates segment cash gross profit" and it should notbe considered as an alternative to earningsmeasures defined by GAAP. We and the investment community use this metric toassess the operating performance of ourbusiness. Additionally, we present this metric as we believe that it closelycorrelates to long-term shareholder value. We donot use this metric as a measure to allocate resources. Aggregates segmentcash gross profit per ton is computed by dividingAggregates segment cash gross profit by tons shipped. Reconciliation of thismetric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

Aggregates Segment Cash Gross Profit

(in thousands, except per ton data)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Aggregates segment

Gross profit $275,994 $274,516 $1,159,178 $1,146,649

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization 80,757 77,787 321,127 305,046

Aggregates segment cash gross profit $356,751 $352,303 $1,480,305 $1,451,695

Unit shipments - tons 51,132 51,620 208,295 215,465

Aggregates segment cash gross profit per ton $6.98 $6.82 $7.11 $6.74

Appendix 2

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Continued)

GAAP does not define "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation andAmortization" (EBITDA) and it should notbe considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. We usethis metric to assess the operatingperformance of our business and as a basis for strategic planning andforecasting as we believe that it closelycorrelates to long-term shareholder value. We do not use this metric as ameasure to allocate resources. We adjustEBITDA for certain items to provide a more consistent comparison of earningsperformance from period to period.Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below:

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

(in thousands)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Net earnings $114,518 $141,092 $584,480 $617,662

Income tax expense 25,273 23,434 155,803 135,198

Interest expense, net 33,884 30,835 134,393 129,000

Loss on discontinued operations, net of tax 1,397 1,504 3,515 4,841

EBIT $175,072 $196,865 $878,191 $886,701

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization 100,894 95,671 396,806 374,596

EBITDA $275,966 $292,536 $1,274,997 $1,261,297

Gain on sale of businesses 0 (9,289) 0 (13,353)

Property donation 0 10,847 0 10,847

Charges associated with divested operations 269 3,033 6,935 3,033

Business development ^1 9,447 1,345 7,334 1,748

COVID-19 direct incremental costs 2,781 0 10,170 0

Pension settlement charge 22,740 0 22,740 0

Restructuring charges 0 0 1,333 6,457

Adjusted EBITDA $311,203 $298,472 $1,323,509 $1,270,029

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization (100,894) (95,671) (396,806) (374,596)

Adjusted EBIT $210,309 $202,801 $926,703 $895,433

Adjusted EBITDA margin 26.5% 25.2% 27.3% 25.8%

^1 Represents non-routine charges or gains associated with acquisitions including the cost impact of purchase accounting inventory valuations.

Similar to our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, we present Adjusted Dilutedearnings per share (EPS) fromcontinuing operations to provide a more consistent comparison of earningsperformance from period to period.This metric is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as analternative to earnings measuresdefined by GAAP. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure ispresented below:

Adjusted Diluted EPS from Continuing Operations (Adjusted Diluted EPS)

Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended

December 31 December 31

2020 2019 2020 2019

Diluted EPS from continuing operations $0.87 $1.07 $4.41 $4.67

Items included in Adjusted EBITDA above 0.20 0.01 0.27 0.03

Adjusted Diluted EPS $1.07 $1.08 $4.68 $4.70

Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA is not a GAAP measure and should not be consideredas an alternative to metricsdefined by GAAP. We, the investment community and credit rating agencies usethis metric to assess our leverage. Net debt subtracts cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from totaldebt. Reconciliation to its nearest GAAPmeasure is presented below:

Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA

(in thousands)

Twelve Months Ended

December 31

2020 2019

Debt

Current maturities of long-term debt $515,435 $25

Long-term debt 2,772,240 2,784,315

Total debt $3,287,675 $2,784,340

Less: Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 1,198,013 274,506

Net debt $2,089,662 $2,509,834

Adjusted EBITDA $1,323,509 $1,270,029

Total debt to Adjusted EBITDA 2.5x 2.2x

Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA 1.6x 2.0x

Appendix 3

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Continued)

We define "Return on Invested Capital" (ROIC) as Adjusted EBITDA for thetrailing-twelve months divided by averageinvested capital (as illustrated below) during the trailing 5-quarters. Ourcalculation of ROIC is considered a non-GAAPfinancial measure because we calculate ROIC using the non-GAAP metric EBITDA.We believe that our ROIC metric ismeaningful because it helps investors assess how effectively we are deployingour assets. Although ROIC is a standardfinancial metric, numerous methods exist for calculating a company's ROIC. As aresult, the method we use to calculateour ROIC may differ from the methods used by other companies.

Return on Invested Capital

(dollars in thousands)

TTM

December 31

2020 2019

Adjusted EBITDA $1,323,509 $1,270,029

Average invested capital ^1

Property, plant & equipment $4,373,987 $4,281,342

Goodwill 3,170,092 3,165,685

Other intangible assets 1,104,044 1,084,113

Fixed and intangible assets $8,648,123 $8,531,140

Current assets $1,845,743 $1,224,316

Less: Cash and cash equivalents 698,944 93,528

Less: Current tax 18,545 12,633

Adjusted current assets 1,128,254 1,118,155

Current liabilities 833,553 599,319

Less: Current maturities of long-term debt 304,989 24

Less: Short-term debt 0 89,700

Adjusted current liabilities 528,564 509,595

Adjusted net working capital $599,690 $608,560

Average invested capital $9,247,813 $9,139,700

Return on invested capital 14.3% 13.9%

^1 Average invested capital is based on a trailing 5-quarters.

The following reconciliation to the mid-point of the range of 2021 ProjectedEBITDA excludes adjustments (as notedin Adjusted EBITDA above) as they are difficult to forecast (timing or amount).Due to the difficulty in forecastingsuch adjustments, we are unable to estimate their significance. This metric isnot defined by GAAP and should notbe considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP. Reconciliation of this metric to its nearestGAAP measure is presented below:

2021 Projected EBITDA

(in millions)

Mid-point

Net earnings $680

Income tax expense 180

Interest expense, net 130

Discontinued operations, net of tax 0

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization 400

Projected EBITDA $1,390

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vulcan-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-results-301228579.html

SOURCE Vulcan Materials Company