MLM vs NUE: Dividend Comparison
Dividend data as of
Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM) and Nucor Corp (NUE) are both in the Materials sector, making them natural rivals for dividend investors. NUE edges ahead on yield at 1.15% versus MLM's 0.46%. Both stocks carry a "Safe" dividend safety rating. NUE is a Dividend Contender with 16 years of consecutive increases.
Verdict
Yield Analysis
NUE yields 0.69% more than MLM. In dollar terms, MLM pays $3.32/share vs NUE's $2.21/share annually.
Dividend Growth
NUE: Dividend growth is slowing — the 3-year CAGR of 3.3% trails the 5-year rate of 6.5% and the 10-year rate of 4.4%.
Dividend Safety
MLM: The payout ratio of 16% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases.
NUE: The payout ratio of 29% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases. Earnings cover the dividend 3.4x.
Estimated Annual Dividend Income
Based on current dividend yields. Actual income may vary.
What does $10,000 buy in MLM vs NUE today?
At $680.12 per share, $10,000 buys about 14.7 shares of Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM). Each share pays $3.32 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $49 per year — about $4 a month.
At $182.61 per share, $10,000 buys about 54.8 shares of Nucor Corp (NUE). Each share pays $2.21 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $121 per year — about $10 a month.
NUE is the larger income stream from day one: $72 per year more on the same $10,000 invested.
Why is there no dividend growth comparison for MLM?
REWD's dividend database has no five-year growth rate for Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM) — most often because the dividend history is too short to compute one, which is common for companies that began paying dividends only in the past few years.
What the data does show for MLM: a 0.46% current yield and a 16% payout ratio, which leaves ample room to raise the payout from here. Until a multi-year raise history exists, treat any growth assumption for MLM as a guess rather than a trend.
Nucor Corp (NUE) is the one with a measurable track record here — dividend raises of about 6.5% a year over the past five years. If a proven raise history matters to you, NUE wins that dimension by default until MLM builds one.
Can MLM and NUE afford their dividends?
Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM) pays out about 16% of its earnings as dividends, which implies roughly 6.1x earnings coverage.
Nucor Corp (NUE) earns $7.51 per share against $2.21 paid out in dividends — 3.4x coverage (a 29% payout ratio).
MLM's wider coverage leaves more cushion if earnings dip. As a rule of thumb, coverage below about 1.5x (a payout ratio above ~65%) is where a dividend starts to look stretched — worth watching for NUE if earnings weaken.
Which fits an early-retirement income portfolio better, MLM or NUE?
For income you need right now, Nucor Corp (NUE) leads: $100,000 invested today pays about $96 a month at the current 1.15% yield, versus $38 a month from Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM) at 0.46%.
On consistency: NUE has raised its dividend 16 consecutive years.
Many income investors simply hold both — the mix pairs current yield with growth and spreads single-name risk. Whichever way you lean, dividends are never guaranteed; recheck the payout each quarter rather than setting and forgetting.
$10,000 with DRIP: projected annual income
If each holding keeps raising its dividend at its real 5-year rate and every payment is reinvested, a $10,000 position pays $48/yr in MLM vs $243/yr in NUE by year 10.
Assumes dividends are reinvested at the current yield and grow at each holding's trailing 5-year dividend CAGR (0% where growth history is unavailable). A projection, not a prediction — no price appreciation modeled.
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