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AME vs. WAB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

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Here’s a clear look at AME and WAB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AME’s market capitalization stands at 42.53 billion USD, while WAB’s is 36.68 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

With betas of 1.11 for AME and 1.13 for WAB, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

SymbolAMEWAB
Company NameAMETEK, Inc.Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
CountryUSUS
SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - MachineryRailroads
CEODavid A. ZapicoRafael Ottoni Santana
Price184.19 USD214.37 USD
Market Cap42.53 billion USD36.68 billion USD
Beta1.111.13
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateJuly 19, 1984June 16, 1995
ADRNoNo

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AME 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.

AME vs. WAB: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAMEWAB
Return on Equity (TTM)14.75%10.73%
Return on Assets (TTM)9.52%5.79%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)11.22%8.17%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)20.43%10.53%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)26.20%16.09%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)36.18%31.55%

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAMEWAB
Current Ratio (TTM)1.411.34
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.860.73
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.190.39
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.130.21
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)0.731.64
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)23.388.45

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AME and WAB. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their annual year-over-year 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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAMEWAB
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.64%0.42%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)18.74%13.29%

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

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.

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.

AME vs. WAB: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Industrial - Machinery and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAMEWAB
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)29.9833.05
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)4.013.48
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)6.133.49
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)4.263.53
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)24.8224.94
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)21.0019.80
EV-to-Sales (TTM)6.353.81