ACM vs. FAST: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ACM and FAST, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
FAST’s market capitalization of 49.48 billion USD is significantly greater than ACM’s 15.31 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 0.97 for ACM and 0.97 for FAST, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ACM | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aecom | Fastenal Company |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Engineering & Construction | Industrial - Distribution |
| CEO | W. Troy Rudd | Daniel L. Florness |
| Price | 115.75 USD | 43.13 USD |
| Market Cap | 15.31 billion USD | 49.48 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.97 | 0.97 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | May 10, 2007 | August 20, 1987 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ACM and FAST by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ACM
27.52%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 39.77%
- Q3
- 28.08%
- Median
- 13.64%
- Q1
- 7.13%
- Min
- -14.48%
ACM’s Return on Equity of 27.52% is on par with the norm for the Engineering & Construction industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
FAST
31.99%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 31.99%
- Q3
- 26.73%
- Median
- 19.92%
- Q1
- 10.89%
- Min
- -9.35%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, FAST’s Return on Equity of 31.99% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
ACM
6.55%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 22.01%
- Q3
- 12.65%
- Median
- 8.09%
- Q1
- 4.79%
- Min
- -2.53%
ACM’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.55% is in line with the norm for the Engineering & Construction industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
FAST
27.06%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 30.61%
- Q3
- 16.52%
- Median
- 12.03%
- Q1
- 6.68%
- Min
- -1.11%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, FAST’s Return on Invested Capital of 27.06% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ACM
3.85%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 11.23%
- Q3
- 6.47%
- Median
- 3.96%
- Q1
- 2.79%
- Min
- -2.45%
ACM’s Net Profit Margin of 3.85% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Engineering & Construction industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
FAST
15.13%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 11.08%
- Q3
- 7.38%
- Median
- 5.32%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- 0.06%
FAST’s Net Profit Margin of 15.13% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin
ACM
5.98%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 13.74%
- Q3
- 8.50%
- Median
- 6.20%
- Q1
- 4.58%
- Min
- 0.34%
ACM’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.98% is around the midpoint for the Engineering & Construction industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
FAST
19.89%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 15.31%
- Q3
- 10.56%
- Median
- 8.43%
- Q1
- 5.85%
- Min
- -0.91%
FAST’s Operating Profit Margin of 19.89% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 27.52% | 31.99% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.24% | 23.64% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 6.55% | 27.06% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.85% | 15.13% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.98% | 19.89% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.09% | 44.99% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ACM
--
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 2.02
- Q3
- 1.66
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 1.24
- Min
- 0.94
Current Ratio data for ACM is currently unavailable.
FAST
4.28
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.57
- Q3
- 2.74
- Median
- 2.29
- Q1
- 1.94
- Min
- 1.33
FAST’s Current Ratio of 4.28 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ACM
1.32
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.67
- Q1
- 0.28
- Min
- 0.01
ACM’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Engineering & Construction industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.32. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
FAST
0.13
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.26
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.13
Falling into the lower quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, FAST’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.13 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ACM
5.28
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 20.20
- Q3
- 11.91
- Median
- 6.46
- Q1
- 3.18
- Min
- -2.69
ACM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.28 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Engineering & Construction industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
FAST
216.24
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 34.29
- Q3
- 28.91
- Median
- 12.63
- Q1
- 3.84
- Min
- -0.41
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 216.24, FAST demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 4.28 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 2.14 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.32 | 0.13 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | 0.10 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.23 | 0.16 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.28 | 216.24 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACM and FAST. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ACM
0.86%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 1.31%
- Q3
- 0.40%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.86%, ACM offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Engineering & Construction industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
FAST
2.88%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.95%
- Q3
- 2.10%
- Median
- 0.82%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.88%, FAST offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Industrial - Distribution industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ACM
20.16%
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 32.30%
- Q3
- 7.09%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ACM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.16% is in the upper quartile for the Engineering & Construction industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
FAST
79.61%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 88.24%
- Q3
- 56.62%
- Median
- 19.45%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FAST’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 79.61% is in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.86% | 2.88% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.16% | 79.61% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ACM
24.84
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 95.41
- Q3
- 56.70
- Median
- 32.28
- Q1
- 22.94
- Min
- 4.72
ACM’s P/E Ratio of 24.84 is within the middle range for the Engineering & Construction industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
FAST
42.96
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 53.67
- Q3
- 39.13
- Median
- 26.86
- Q1
- 22.49
- Min
- 12.77
A P/E Ratio of 42.96 places FAST in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ACM
2.51
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 4.99
- Q3
- 3.64
- Median
- 2.51
- Q1
- 1.64
- Min
- 0.03
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Engineering & Construction industry.
FAST
5.01
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 4.88
- Q3
- 3.36
- Median
- 2.85
- Q1
- 1.53
- Min
- 0.12
FAST’s Forward PEG Ratio of 5.01 is exceptionally high for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ACM
0.95
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 3.34
- Q3
- 2.05
- Median
- 1.50
- Q1
- 0.83
- Min
- 0.44
ACM’s P/S Ratio of 0.95 aligns with the market consensus for the Engineering & Construction industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
FAST
6.50
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 2.87
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.42
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.17
With a P/S Ratio of 6.50, FAST trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Industrial - Distribution industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ACM
6.71
Engineering & Construction Industry
- Max
- 10.70
- Q3
- 7.33
- Median
- 4.69
- Q1
- 2.53
- Min
- 0.79
ACM’s P/B Ratio of 6.71 is within the conventional range for the Engineering & Construction industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
FAST
13.41
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 13.04
- Q3
- 7.19
- Median
- 3.64
- Q1
- 2.91
- Min
- 0.74
At 13.41, FAST’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Industrial - Distribution industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 24.84 | 42.96 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.51 | 5.01 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.95 | 6.50 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 6.71 | 13.41 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.31 | 56.97 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.51 | 29.36 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 1.04 | 6.54 |