LECO vs. WM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at LECO and WM, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. | Waste Management, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Machinery | Commercial Services & Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 13.57 billion USD | 90.25 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | April 7, 1994 | June 22, 1988 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of LECO and WM 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.11% | -1.95% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 26.45% | -3.98% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 13.86% | -1.96% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 25.80% | 6.62% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.96% | -2.23% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 31.13% | 11.03% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.25M | 2.01M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.37M | 1.71M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 26.78% | 16.66% |
| Beta | 1.24 | 0.66 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
LECO
37.34%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 34.68%
- Q3
- 19.06%
- Median
- 13.13%
- Q1
- 8.53%
- Min
- -4.87%
LECO’s Return on Equity of 37.34% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Machinery industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
WM
31.93%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 18.03%
- Median
- 9.43%
- Q1
- 6.44%
- Min
- -9.69%
In the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, WM’s Return on Equity of 31.93% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
LECO
12.27%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.74%
- Q3
- 11.24%
- Median
- 8.13%
- Q1
- 5.38%
- Min
- -1.11%
A Net Profit Margin of 12.27% places LECO in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
WM
11.36%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 9.01%
- Median
- 5.20%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- -2.31%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.36% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
LECO
16.67%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 16.15%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -4.91%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.67% places LECO in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
WM
17.52%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.43%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- Median
- 8.10%
- Q1
- 3.18%
- Min
- -6.03%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.52% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies 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 | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 37.34% | 31.93% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 13.84% | 6.42% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.27% | 11.36% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.67% | 17.52% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 36.51% | 39.72% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
LECO
1.68
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.83
- Q3
- 2.32
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.78
LECO’s Current Ratio of 1.68 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
WM
0.86
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.53
WM’s Current Ratio of 0.86 falls into the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
LECO
0.91
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.49
- Q3
- 0.75
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.00
LECO’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Machinery industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.91. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
WM
2.61
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.08
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.61, WM operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
LECO
20.84
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 67.55
- Q3
- 33.79
- Median
- 13.87
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
LECO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 20.84 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
WM
6.82
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 12.37
- Median
- 7.16
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- -10.97
WM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.82 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.68 | 0.86 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.08 | 0.86 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.91 | 2.61 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 20.84 | 6.82 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
LECO
1.25%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.32%
- Q3
- 2.84%
- Median
- 1.87%
- Q1
- 1.09%
- Min
- 0.00%
LECO’s Dividend Yield of 1.25% is consistent with its peers in the Machinery industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
WM
1.37%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.44%
- Q3
- 2.30%
- Median
- 1.37%
- Q1
- 0.63%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Yield of 1.37% is consistent with its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
LECO
32.88%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 202.17%
- Q3
- 98.65%
- Median
- 55.54%
- Q1
- 29.03%
- Min
- 0.00%
LECO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 32.88% is within the typical range for the Machinery industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
WM
46.71%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 72.93%
- Median
- 40.45%
- Q1
- 23.31%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.71% is within the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.25% | 1.37% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 32.88% | 46.71% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
LECO
26.26
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 53.66
- Q3
- 31.29
- Median
- 22.00
- Q1
- 16.18
- Min
- 7.00
LECO’s P/E Ratio of 26.26 is within the middle range for the 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.
WM
34.02
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.20
- Q3
- 37.10
- Median
- 22.38
- Q1
- 16.35
- Min
- 0.00
WM’s P/E Ratio of 34.02 is within the middle range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
LECO
3.22
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.04
- Q3
- 2.72
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.24
LECO’s P/S Ratio of 3.22 is in the upper echelon for the 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.
WM
3.86
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.28
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
WM’s P/S Ratio of 3.86 is in the upper echelon for the Commercial Services & Supplies 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 (MRQ)
LECO
8.39
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.23
- Q3
- 3.90
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.47
- Min
- 0.49
At 8.39, LECO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Machinery 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.
WM
10.01
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.71
- Q3
- 4.38
- Median
- 2.39
- Q1
- 1.57
- Min
- 0.43
At 10.01, WM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Commercial Services & Supplies 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 | LECO | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 26.26 | 34.02 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.22 | 3.86 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 8.39 | 10.01 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 26.16 | 42.79 |