AECOM vs EXPONENT, INC., two Consulting stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ACM and EXPO diverge most: on revenue growth, ACM reads -4.1% and EXPO reads +12.7%; on operating margin, ACM reads -2.1% and EXPO reads 16.3%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's ACM price has a different growth bar priced in than EXPO (+8.6% implied for ACM vs +19.7% for EXPO); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What ACM's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What EXPO's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ACM | EXPO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $63.48 | $67.30 |
| Market cap | $8.2B | $3.3B |
| Sector | Consulting | Consulting |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +8.6% | +19.7% |
| P/E | 29.1 | 30.3 |
| P/B | 3.40 | 11.42 |
| P/S | 0.53 | 5.21 |
| EV/EBITDA | 10.6 | 23.4 |
| Revenue growth | -4.1% | +12.7% |
| Gross margin | -0.9% | — |
| Operating margin | -2.1% | 16.3% |
| Net margin | 1.9% | 17.7% |
| Return on equity | 12.0% | 38.7% |
| Return on assets | 2.4% | 17.1% |
| Return on invested capital | 20.3% | 31.9% |
| FCF yield | 2.5% | 3.3% |
| Dividend yield | — | 1.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.06 | 1.98 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 1.62 | 8.32 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.