EMCOR Group, Inc. vs Sterling Infrastructure, Inc., two Engineering & Construction stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Both post strong returns on equity, 34.59% at EMCOR and 29% at Sterling, yet the market values them on different terms. Sterling keeps more of each dollar, 12.02% net against EMCOR's 7.54%, and trades far richer, 72.02 times earnings and 20.93 times book against EMCOR's 26.82 times and 9.23. EMCOR is roughly debt-free; Sterling borrows lightly at 0.24 times equity. EMCOR's free-cash yield of 3.02% beats Sterling's 1.77%. The premium on Sterling reflects where its sitework points, toward data-center and warehouse construction the market is eager to fund, while EMCOR's broad services book earns a plainer multiple despite the higher return on equity.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | EME | STRL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $781.42 | $682.13 |
| Market cap | $34.9B | $21.2B |
| Sector | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +23.3% | — |
| P/E | 26.3 | 61.0 |
| P/B | 9.03 | 17.71 |
| P/S | 1.97 | 7.34 |
| EV/EBITDA | 18.2 | 36.7 |
| Revenue growth | +18.3% | +41.1% |
| Gross margin | 18.7% | 23.5% |
| Operating margin | 8.7% | 16.7% |
| Net margin | 7.5% | 12.0% |
| Return on equity | 34.6% | 29.0% |
| Return on assets | 14.1% | 12.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 34.6% | 26.0% |
| FCF yield | 3.1% | 2.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.1% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.24 |
| Current ratio | 1.26 | 1.10 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.81 | 7.73 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 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.