JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC. vs Sterling Infrastructure, Inc., two Engineering & Construction stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where J and STRL diverge most: on operating margin, J reads -2.2% and STRL reads 16.7%; on p/s, J reads 1.12 and STRL reads 7.34. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What J's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). What STRL's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (segment-resolved basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | J | STRL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $125.81 | $682.13 |
| Market cap | $14.8B | $21.2B |
| Sector | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +20.8% | — |
| P/E | 39.2 | 61.0 |
| P/B | 4.48 | 17.71 |
| P/S | 1.12 | 7.34 |
| EV/EBITDA | 28.2 | 36.7 |
| Revenue growth | +12.7% | +41.1% |
| Gross margin | 21.5% | 23.5% |
| Operating margin | -2.2% | 16.7% |
| Net margin | 2.9% | 12.0% |
| Return on equity | 11.6% | 29.0% |
| Return on assets | 3.2% | 12.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 6.4% | 26.0% |
| FCF yield | 3.3% | 2.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.2% | — |
| Debt / equity | 1.24 | 0.24 |
| Current ratio | 1.43 | 1.10 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.35 | 7.73 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 3 / 9 | 8 / 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.