ACM vs. ULS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ACM and ULS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ACM’s market capitalization stands at 15.31 billion USD, while ULS’s is 14.17 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.97 for ACM and 1.20 for ULS, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ACM | ULS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aecom | UL Solutions Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Engineering & Construction | Specialty Business Services |
| CEO | W. Troy Rudd | Jennifer F. Scanlon |
| Price | 115.75 USD | 70.68 USD |
| Market Cap | 15.31 billion USD | 14.17 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.97 | 1.20 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 10, 2007 | July 15, 2014 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ACM and ULS 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.
ULS
38.35%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 30.24%
- Q3
- 17.20%
- Median
- 7.32%
- Q1
- 4.37%
- Min
- -13.44%
ULS’s Return on Equity of 38.35% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Specialty Business Services industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
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.
ULS
18.54%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 22.69%
- Q3
- 10.02%
- Median
- 5.30%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -1.58%
In the upper quartile for the Specialty Business Services industry, ULS’s Return on Invested Capital of 18.54% 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.
ULS
11.60%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 11.60%
- Median
- 5.65%
- Q1
- 1.65%
- Min
- -5.21%
ULS’s Net Profit Margin of 11.60% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Specialty Business Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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.
ULS
16.52%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 29.40%
- Q3
- 16.52%
- Median
- 5.78%
- Q1
- 1.54%
- Min
- -5.17%
ULS’s Operating Profit Margin of 16.52% is around the midpoint for the Specialty Business Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | ULS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 27.52% | 38.35% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.24% | 11.71% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 6.55% | 18.54% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.85% | 11.60% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.98% | 16.52% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.09% | 48.71% |
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.
ULS
1.24
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 2.21
- Q3
- 1.84
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.26
ULS’s Current Ratio of 1.24 aligns with the median group of the Specialty Business Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
ULS
0.87
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 1.02
- Q3
- 0.93
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.22
- Min
- 0.03
ULS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.87 is typical for the Specialty Business Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
ULS
9.23
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 15.61
- Q3
- 6.91
- Median
- 3.29
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- -8.58
ULS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.23 is in the upper quartile for the Specialty Business Services industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | ULS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.24 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.24 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.32 | 0.87 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.23 | 0.90 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.28 | 9.23 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACM and ULS. 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.
ULS
0.72%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 4.40%
- Q3
- 1.37%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ULS’s Dividend Yield of 0.72% is consistent with its peers in the Specialty Business Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
ULS
29.97%
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 79.38%
- Q3
- 51.62%
- Median
- 23.75%
- Q1
- 1.08%
- Min
- 0.00%
ULS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 29.97% is within the typical range for the Specialty Business Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | ULS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.86% | 0.72% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.16% | 29.97% |
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.
ULS
41.95
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 52.23
- Q3
- 42.83
- Median
- 32.04
- Q1
- 16.00
- Min
- 2.24
ULS’s P/E Ratio of 41.95 is within the middle range for the Specialty Business Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
ULS
3.50
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 4.93
- Q3
- 3.34
- Median
- 2.19
- Q1
- 0.14
- Min
- 0.06
A Forward PEG Ratio of 3.50 places ULS in the upper quartile for the Specialty Business Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
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.
ULS
4.88
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 6.26
- Q3
- 3.60
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.34
ULS’s P/S Ratio of 4.88 is in the upper echelon for the Specialty Business Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
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.
ULS
14.57
Specialty Business Services Industry
- Max
- 3.69
- Q3
- 3.69
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.55
- Min
- 0.59
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Specialty Business Services industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | ULS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 24.84 | 41.95 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.51 | 3.50 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.95 | 4.88 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 6.71 | 14.57 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.31 | 46.31 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.51 | 23.01 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 1.04 | 5.08 |