AME vs. SAIA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AME and SAIA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AME’s market capitalization of 42.53 billion USD is substantially larger than SAIA’s 7.85 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
SAIA carries a higher beta at 2.00, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AME (beta: 1.11) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AME | SAIA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AMETEK, Inc. | Saia, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Industrial - Machinery | Trucking |
| CEO | David A. Zapico | Frederick J. Holzgrefe III |
| Price | 184.19 USD | 294.79 USD |
| Market Cap | 42.53 billion USD | 7.85 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.11 | 2.00 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | July 19, 1984 | September 11, 2002 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AME and SAIA 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
AME
14.75%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 36.51%
- Q3
- 18.65%
- Median
- 12.08%
- Q1
- 4.75%
- Min
- -15.57%
AME’s Return on Equity of 14.75% is on par with the norm for the Industrial - Machinery industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
SAIA
14.21%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 27.40%
- Q3
- 13.41%
- Median
- 6.54%
- Q1
- 1.91%
- Min
- -3.46%
In the upper quartile for the Trucking industry, SAIA’s Return on Equity of 14.21% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
AME
11.22%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 22.35%
- Q3
- 12.64%
- Median
- 9.33%
- Q1
- 5.32%
- Min
- -5.42%
AME’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.22% is in line with the norm for the Industrial - Machinery industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
SAIA
10.76%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 10.76%
- Q3
- 8.53%
- Median
- 3.70%
- Q1
- 1.79%
- Min
- -2.53%
In the upper quartile for the Trucking industry, SAIA’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.76% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
AME
20.43%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.85%
- Q3
- 15.25%
- Median
- 10.02%
- Q1
- 5.33%
- Min
- -8.75%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.43% places AME in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
SAIA
9.91%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 4.81%
- Q3
- 4.61%
- Median
- 2.88%
- Q1
- 1.68%
- Min
- 0.60%
SAIA’s Net Profit Margin of 9.91% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Trucking industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin
AME
26.20%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.19%
- Q3
- 19.04%
- Median
- 14.62%
- Q1
- 8.13%
- Min
- -5.76%
An Operating Profit Margin of 26.20% places AME in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
SAIA
13.40%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 13.40%
- Q3
- 8.09%
- Median
- 4.17%
- Q1
- 2.19%
- Min
- -1.98%
An Operating Profit Margin of 13.40% places SAIA in the upper quartile for the Trucking industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AME | SAIA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 14.75% | 14.21% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 9.52% | 9.54% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 11.22% | 10.76% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 20.43% | 9.91% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 26.20% | 13.40% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 36.18% | 18.56% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AME
1.41
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.18
- Q3
- 2.75
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.46
AME’s Current Ratio of 1.41 falls into the lower quartile for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
SAIA
1.43
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.45
- Median
- 1.24
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.88
SAIA’s Current Ratio of 1.43 aligns with the median group of the Trucking industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AME
0.19
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.00
AME’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.19 is typical for the Industrial - Machinery industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SAIA
0.18
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 0.63
- Q3
- 0.50
- Median
- 0.34
- Q1
- 0.19
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Trucking industry, SAIA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.18 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
AME
23.38
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.91
- Q3
- 14.99
- Median
- 9.11
- Q1
- 3.95
- Min
- -11.30
AME’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 23.38 is in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
SAIA
34.28
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 34.42
- Q3
- 21.52
- Median
- 3.73
- Q1
- 1.68
- Min
- -2.10
SAIA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.28 is in the upper quartile for the Trucking industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AME | SAIA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.41 | 1.43 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.86 | 1.43 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.18 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.13 | 0.12 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | 0.61 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 23.38 | 34.28 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AME and SAIA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AME
0.64%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.40%
- Q3
- 1.47%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AME’s Dividend Yield of 0.64% is consistent with its peers in the Industrial - Machinery industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
SAIA
0.00%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 2.03%
- Q3
- 1.69%
- Median
- 1.22%
- Q1
- 0.65%
- Min
- 0.00%
SAIA currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AME
18.74%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 78.48%
- Q3
- 36.22%
- Median
- 20.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AME’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 18.74% is within the typical range for the Industrial - Machinery industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
SAIA
0.00%
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 195.49%
- Q3
- 55.74%
- Median
- 19.72%
- Q1
- 9.76%
- Min
- 0.00%
SAIA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AME | SAIA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.64% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 18.74% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AME
29.98
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 47.62
- Q3
- 34.41
- Median
- 27.36
- Q1
- 21.62
- Min
- 10.96
AME’s P/E Ratio of 29.98 is within the middle range for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
SAIA
24.52
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 48.87
- Q3
- 44.85
- Median
- 26.67
- Q1
- 17.49
- Min
- 8.11
SAIA’s P/E Ratio of 24.52 is within the middle range for the Trucking 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
AME
4.01
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 6.15
- Q3
- 3.53
- Median
- 2.82
- Q1
- 1.71
- Min
- 0.09
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Industrial - Machinery industry.
SAIA
1.22
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 1.65
- Q3
- 1.08
- Median
- 0.80
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.14
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Trucking industry.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AME
6.13
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 8.37
- Q3
- 4.59
- Median
- 3.34
- Q1
- 1.83
- Min
- 0.32
AME’s P/S Ratio of 6.13 is in the upper echelon for the Industrial - Machinery 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.
SAIA
2.42
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 1.13
- Q3
- 1.02
- Median
- 0.75
- Q1
- 0.57
- Min
- 0.39
With a P/S Ratio of 2.42, SAIA trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Trucking industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AME
4.26
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.49
- Q3
- 5.01
- Median
- 3.41
- Q1
- 2.45
- Min
- 0.01
AME’s P/B Ratio of 4.26 is within the conventional range for the Industrial - Machinery 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.
SAIA
3.34
Trucking Industry
- Max
- 3.14
- Q3
- 1.98
- Median
- 1.41
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.84
At 3.34, SAIA’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Trucking 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 | AME | SAIA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 29.98 | 24.52 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 4.01 | 1.22 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.13 | 2.42 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.26 | 3.34 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 24.82 | -38.68 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 21.00 | 12.59 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.35 | 2.55 |