ACM vs. WAB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ACM and WAB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
WAB’s market capitalization of 36.68 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 1.13 for WAB, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ACM | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aecom | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Engineering & Construction | Railroads |
| CEO | W. Troy Rudd | Rafael Ottoni Santana |
| Price | 115.75 USD | 214.37 USD |
| Market Cap | 15.31 billion USD | 36.68 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.97 | 1.13 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 10, 2007 | June 16, 1995 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ACM and WAB 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.
WAB
10.73%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 40.80%
- Q3
- 24.36%
- Median
- 18.32%
- Q1
- 11.84%
- Min
- 8.37%
WAB’s Return on Equity of 10.73% is in the lower quartile for the Railroads industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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.
WAB
8.17%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 11.47%
- Q3
- 9.66%
- Median
- 9.08%
- Q1
- 7.36%
- Min
- 4.32%
WAB’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.17% is in line with the norm for the Railroads industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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.
WAB
10.53%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 27.77%
- Q3
- 26.50%
- Median
- 24.33%
- Q1
- 9.34%
- Min
- 4.79%
WAB’s Net Profit Margin of 10.53% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Railroads 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.
WAB
16.09%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 41.08%
- Q3
- 37.86%
- Median
- 35.40%
- Q1
- 15.99%
- Min
- 10.85%
WAB’s Operating Profit Margin of 16.09% is around the midpoint for the Railroads industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 27.52% | 10.73% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.24% | 5.79% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 6.55% | 8.17% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.85% | 10.53% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.98% | 16.09% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.09% | 31.55% |
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.
WAB
1.34
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 1.97
- Q3
- 1.41
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.62
WAB’s Current Ratio of 1.34 aligns with the median group of the Railroads 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.
WAB
0.39
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 2.11
- Q3
- 1.44
- Median
- 1.19
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.39
Falling into the lower quartile for the Railroads industry, WAB’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.39 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.
WAB
8.45
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 8.45
- Q3
- 7.16
- Median
- 6.40
- Q1
- 5.53
- Min
- 4.30
WAB’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.45 is in the upper quartile for the Railroads industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.34 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.73 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.32 | 0.39 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | 0.21 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.23 | 1.64 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.28 | 8.45 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACM and WAB. 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.
WAB
0.42%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 4.30%
- Q3
- 2.64%
- Median
- 2.21%
- Q1
- 1.33%
- Min
- 0.43%
WAB’s Dividend Yield of 0.42% is below the typical range for the Railroads industry. This indicates that shareholder returns are likely driven more by potential capital appreciation than by dividend income.
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.
WAB
13.29%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 69.30%
- Q3
- 47.83%
- Median
- 32.93%
- Q1
- 18.85%
- Min
- 13.29%
WAB’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 13.29% is in the lower quartile for the Railroads industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.86% | 0.42% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.16% | 13.29% |
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.
WAB
33.05
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 26.01
- Q3
- 22.00
- Median
- 19.48
- Q1
- 17.09
- Min
- 16.09
At 33.05, WAB’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Railroads industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
WAB
3.48
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 1.85
- Q3
- 1.84
- Median
- 1.79
- Q1
- 1.59
- Min
- 1.52
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Railroads industry.
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.
WAB
3.49
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 6.74
- Q3
- 5.30
- Median
- 4.55
- Q1
- 2.73
- Min
- 0.42
WAB’s P/S Ratio of 3.49 aligns with the market consensus for the Railroads industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
WAB
3.53
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 4.36
- Median
- 3.70
- Q1
- 1.98
- Min
- 1.00
WAB’s P/B Ratio of 3.53 is within the conventional range for the Railroads 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ACM | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 24.84 | 33.05 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.51 | 3.48 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.95 | 3.49 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 6.71 | 3.53 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.31 | 24.94 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.51 | 19.80 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 1.04 | 3.81 |