ARGAN INC vs JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC., two Engineering & Construction stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where AGX and J diverge most: on operating margin, AGX reads 15.6% and J reads -2.2%; on debt / equity, AGX reads 0.00 and J reads 1.24. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What AGX's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). What J's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | AGX | J |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $570.06 | $134.94 |
| Market cap | $8.1B | $15.8B |
| Sector | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +29.7% | — |
| P/E | 50.1 | 42.0 |
| P/B | 17.09 | 4.81 |
| P/S | 7.77 | 1.20 |
| EV/EBITDA | 49.0 | 29.9 |
| Revenue growth | +16.4% | +12.7% |
| Gross margin | 21.0% | 21.5% |
| Operating margin | 15.6% | -2.2% |
| Net margin | 15.5% | 2.9% |
| Return on equity | 34.1% | 11.6% |
| Return on assets | 12.5% | 3.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 28.2% | 6.4% |
| FCF yield | 6.0% | 3.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 1.24 |
| Current ratio | 1.53 | 1.43 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.78 | 7.35 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 3 / 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.