HENRY SCHEIN, INC. vs WATSCO, INC., two Distribution stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where HSIC and WSO diverge most: on revenue growth, HSIC reads +6.5% and WSO reads -3.0%; on debt / equity, HSIC reads 0.91 and WSO reads 0.00. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's HSIC price has a different growth bar priced in than WSO (+3.3% implied for HSIC vs +12.1% for WSO); 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). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | HSIC | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $84.00 | $280.05 |
| Market cap | $9.4B | $10.7B |
| Sector | Distribution | Distribution |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +3.3% | +12.1% |
| P/E | 24.5 | 24.0 |
| P/B | 2.45 | 3.08 |
| P/S | 0.69 | 1.47 |
| EV/EBITDA | 12.4 | 14.2 |
| Revenue growth | +6.5% | -3.0% |
| Gross margin | 31.8% | 27.5% |
| Operating margin | 5.0% | 11.3% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 6.5% |
| Return on equity | 10.6% | 13.7% |
| Return on assets | 3.5% | 9.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 7.4% | 16.4% |
| FCF yield | 6.1% | 6.5% |
| Dividend yield | — | 4.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.91 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.32 | 3.20 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.60 | 8.51 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 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.