HENRY SCHEIN, INC. vs WESCO International, Inc., two Distribution stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where HSIC and WCC diverge most: on fcf yield, HSIC reads 4.5% and WCC reads 0.9%; on debt / equity, HSIC reads 0.27 and WCC reads 1.14. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's HSIC price has a different growth bar priced in than WCC (+6.4% implied for HSIC vs +14.5% for WCC); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What HSIC's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What WCC'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 | HSIC | WCC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $85.72 | $343.46 |
| Market cap | $9.9B | $17.0B |
| Sector | Distribution | Distribution |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +6.4% | +14.5% |
| P/E | 25.9 | 23.8 |
| P/B | 2.54 | 3.25 |
| P/S | 0.74 | 0.68 |
| EV/EBITDA | 11.1 | 14.8 |
| Revenue growth | +5.6% | +12.5% |
| Gross margin | 31.8% | — |
| Operating margin | 5.4% | 5.7% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 2.8% |
| Return on equity | 10.1% | 13.6% |
| Return on assets | 3.5% | 4.0% |
| Return on invested capital | 10.5% | 9.3% |
| FCF yield | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| Debt / equity | 0.27 | 1.14 |
| Current ratio | 1.36 | 2.09 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.69 | 3.12 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 9 | 7 / 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.