CPRT vs. WCN: Copart vs. Waste Connections Stock Comparison
How do Copart (CPRT) and Waste Connections (WCN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Copart (CPRT) and Waste Connections (WCN) both belong to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, though CPRT is classified under Diversified Support Services while WCN falls under Environmental & Facilities Services.
| Profile Item | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Copart, Inc. | Waste Connections, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Commercial & Professional Services | Commercial & Professional Services |
| GICS Industry | Commercial Services & Supplies | Commercial Services & Supplies |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Diversified Support Services | Environmental & Facilities Services |
| Market Capitalization | 29.60 billion USD | 47.31 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1994 | May 22, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -20.18% | 15.20% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -11.53% | 14.07% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -3.48% | 7.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 32.98% | 25.62% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.97 | 0.41 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -58.85% | -24.90% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 10.87M | 1.56M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.74 | 0.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.08 | 0.69 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Copart (CPRT) at 16.16% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 14.19% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
16.16%
- Max
- 47.06%
- Q3
- 25.43%
- CPRT
- 16.16%
- Median
- 14.11%
- Q1
- 3.92%
- Min
- -20.15%
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
14.19%
- Max
- 47.06%
- Q3
- 25.43%
- WCN
- 14.19%
- Median
- 14.11%
- Q1
- 3.92%
- Min
- -20.15%
Net Margin (TTM)
Copart (CPRT) at 31.81% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Waste Connections (WCN) at 11.40% also retains a top-quartile share.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
31.81%
- CPRT
- 31.81%
- Max
- 23.28%
- Q3
- 11.35%
- Median
- 5.65%
- Q1
- 0.87%
- Min
- -8.60%
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
11.40%
- Max
- 23.28%
- WCN
- 11.40%
- Q3
- 11.35%
- Median
- 5.65%
- Q1
- 0.87%
- Min
- -8.60%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Copart (CPRT) at 32.01% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 20.77% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
32.01%
- Max
- 38.50%
- CPRT
- 32.01%
- Q3
- 18.84%
- Median
- 10.40%
- Q1
- 5.59%
- Min
- -12.00%
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
20.77%
- Max
- 38.50%
- WCN
- 20.77%
- Q3
- 18.84%
- Median
- 10.40%
- Q1
- 5.59%
- Min
- -12.00%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 16.16% | 14.19% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.27% | 5.68% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 11.40% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.01% | 20.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 45.29% | 42.62% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.14% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Copart (CPRT) at 0.41% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Waste Connections (WCN) at 74.48% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Copart (CPRT) at -2.52% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for WCN.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 0.41% | 6.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 6.44% | 9.49% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -2.52% | 74.48% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 6.59% | 8.78% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Copart (CPRT) at 7.91 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.67 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
7.91
- CPRT
- 7.91
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 2.14
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.09
- Min
- 0.45
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.67
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 2.14
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.09
- WCN
- 0.67
- Min
- 0.45
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Copart (CPRT) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 1.24 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.01
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.25
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.35
- CPRT
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
1.24
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.25
- WCN
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 7.91 | 0.67 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 1.24 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.36 | 3.01 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Copart (CPRT) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Waste Connections (WCN) reports a yield of 0.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.33%
- Q3
- 1.80%
- Median
- 0.60%
- CPRT
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.73%
- Max
- 4.33%
- Q3
- 1.80%
- WCN
- 0.73%
- Median
- 0.60%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Copart (CPRT) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Waste Connections (WCN) reports a payout of 31.39%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 99.58%
- Q3
- 41.99%
- Median
- 17.27%
- CPRT
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -17.94%
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
31.39%
- Max
- 99.58%
- Q3
- 41.99%
- WCN
- 31.39%
- Median
- 17.27%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -17.94%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 31.39% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Copart (CPRT) at 20.61 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 42.39 sits in the richer quartile — WCN needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
20.61
- Max
- 49.47
- Q3
- 33.76
- Median
- 24.16
- CPRT
- 20.61
- Q1
- 16.01
- Min
- 1.89
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
42.39
- Max
- 49.47
- WCN
- 42.39
- Q3
- 33.76
- Median
- 24.16
- Q1
- 16.01
- Min
- 1.89
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Copart (CPRT) at 6.34 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 4.76 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
6.34
- Max
- 7.17
- CPRT
- 6.34
- Q3
- 3.35
- Median
- 1.33
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.11
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
4.76
- Max
- 7.17
- WCN
- 4.76
- Q3
- 3.35
- Median
- 1.33
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.11
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Copart (CPRT) at 3.25 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.00 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
CPRT
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
3.25
- Max
- 11.25
- Q3
- 6.08
- CPRT
- 3.25
- Median
- 2.92
- Q1
- 1.55
- Min
- -2.78
WCN
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
6.00
- Max
- 11.25
- Q3
- 6.08
- WCN
- 6.00
- Median
- 2.92
- Q1
- 1.55
- Min
- -2.78
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CPRT | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.61 | 42.39 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.34 | 4.76 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.25 | 6.00 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.99% | 2.28% |