IES Holdings, Inc. vs JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC., two Engineering & Construction stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where IESC and J diverge most: on operating margin, IESC reads 11.5% and J reads -2.2%; on debt / equity, IESC reads 0.03 and J reads 1.24. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's IESC price has a different growth bar priced in than J (+30.8% implied for IESC vs +22.4% for J); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What IESC's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). What J's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | IESC | J |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $626.17 | $134.42 |
| Market cap | $12.6B | $15.8B |
| Sector | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +30.8% | +22.4% |
| P/E | 33.4 | 41.9 |
| P/B | 11.78 | 4.79 |
| P/S | 3.48 | 1.20 |
| EV/EBITDA | 26.4 | 29.8 |
| Revenue growth | +16.1% | +12.7% |
| Gross margin | 26.1% | 21.5% |
| Operating margin | 11.5% | -2.2% |
| Net margin | 10.4% | 2.9% |
| Return on equity | 35.2% | 11.6% |
| Return on assets | 18.9% | 3.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 30.4% | 6.4% |
| FCF yield | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Dividend yield | — | 0.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.03 | 1.24 |
| Current ratio | 1.55 | 1.43 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.99 | 7.35 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 3 / 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.