Ferguson Enterprises Inc. vs GENUINE PARTS CO, two Distribution stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Ferguson and Genuine Parts are both large, established distributors, Ferguson in plumbing and HVAC, Genuine Parts in auto and industrial components, but Ferguson earns markedly better returns: 37.78% on equity against 20.79%, and 6.87% net against 3.78%. Genuine Parts is the income name, yielding 3.55% against Ferguson's 1.37%, a dividend aristocrat with decades of raises. Ferguson trades richer, 21 times earnings against 17.2, and carries less relative debt. Both convert similar free cash near 3.5%. The pair contrasts two distribution stalwarts: Ferguson the higher-return, faster compounder with scale advantages in building supply, Genuine Parts the slower, dividend-rich auto-parts staple, and it sets growth-and-returns against yield-and-stability.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | FERG | GPC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $238.57 | $116.01 |
| Market cap | $46.5B | $16.0B |
| Sector | Distribution | Distribution |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +17.6% | -1.0% |
| P/E | 21.2 | 17.2 |
| P/B | 7.91 | 3.56 |
| P/S | 1.44 | 0.65 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.4 | 37.3 |
| Revenue growth | +6.7% | +4.8% |
| Gross margin | 31.0% | 37.3% |
| Operating margin | 8.2% | — |
| Net margin | 6.9% | 3.8% |
| Return on equity | 37.8% | 20.8% |
| Return on assets | 12.5% | 4.5% |
| Return on invested capital | 22.7% | — |
| FCF yield | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Dividend yield | 1.4% | 3.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.70 | 1.03 |
| Current ratio | 1.78 | 1.09 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 5.15 | 7.54 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 6 / 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.