GENUINE PARTS CO vs WATSCO, INC., two Distribution stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where GPC and WSO diverge most: on implied growth (priced in), GPC reads -4.1% and WSO reads +12.1%; on revenue growth, GPC reads +5.5% and WSO reads -3.0%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's GPC price has a different growth bar priced in than WSO (-4.1% implied for GPC vs +12.1% for WSO); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What GPC'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 | GPC | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $127.05 | $280.05 |
| Market cap | $17.5B | $10.7B |
| Sector | Distribution | Distribution |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -4.1% | +12.1% |
| P/E | 19.4 | 24.0 |
| P/B | 3.86 | 3.08 |
| P/S | 0.70 | 1.47 |
| EV/EBITDA | 38.8 | 14.2 |
| Revenue growth | +5.5% | -3.0% |
| Gross margin | 37.8% | 27.5% |
| Operating margin | — | 11.3% |
| Net margin | 3.6% | 6.5% |
| Return on equity | 20.0% | 13.7% |
| Return on assets | 4.3% | 9.4% |
| Return on invested capital | — | 16.4% |
| FCF yield | 4.3% | 6.5% |
| Dividend yield | 3.2% | 4.2% |
| Debt / equity | 1.10 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.16 | 3.20 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.59 | 8.51 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 5 / 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.