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. On valuation, today's AGX price has a different growth bar priced in than J (+49.1% implied for AGX vs +20.8% for J); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. 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 | $630.74 | $125.81 |
| Market cap | $9.0B | $14.8B |
| Sector | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +49.1% | +20.8% |
| P/E | 55.4 | 39.2 |
| P/B | 18.91 | 4.48 |
| P/S | 8.59 | 1.12 |
| EV/EBITDA | 54.5 | 28.2 |
| 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 | 5.4% | 3.3% |
| Dividend yield | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 1.24 |
| Current ratio | 1.53 | 1.43 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.80 | 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.