Martin Marietta Materials

Martin Marietta Materials is one of the largest US producers of construction aggregates, supplying crushed stone, sand and gravel along with cement, concrete and asphalt. Its quarries and reserves sit close to fast-growing markets, and because aggregates are costly to transport, local pricing power gives the business durable, geographically protected margins. The company has paid and increased its dividend for decades, funded by resilient demand from public infrastructure and private construction, though the yield is very low as the stock trades at a premium. Capital is also returned through buybacks. A solid score reflects a dependable, long-growing dividend anchored in an essential materials business, tempered by sensitivity to construction and infrastructure cycles.