Martin Marietta Materials, the second-largest US supplier of crushed stone, lowered its 2009 earnings forecast by as much as 27 percent because of a slower-than-expected recovery in construction.

Martin Marietta predicts earnings of $2.70 to $3.30 a share, down from the $3.70 to $4.15 it estimated on May 5, the Raleigh, NC-based company said in a statement.