STN vs. WCN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at STN and WCN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Stantec Inc. | Waste Connections, Inc. |
| Country | Canada | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Construction & Engineering | Commercial Services & Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 12.90 billion USD | 44.66 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 5, 2005 | May 22, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of STN and WCN 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 | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.22% | -0.81% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 3.63% | -2.80% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 27.20% | -14.04% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 37.84% | 0.56% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 3.42% | -1.08% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 37.64% | -1.85% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.27M | 0.26M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.29M | 0.31M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 19.41% | 14.64% |
| Beta | 1.01 | 0.42 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
STN
15.34%
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 26.79%
- Q3
- 16.47%
- Median
- 10.66%
- Q1
- 8.46%
- Min
- -1.86%
STN’s Return on Equity of 15.34% is on par with the norm for the Construction & Engineering industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
WCN
7.93%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 16.86%
- Median
- 10.28%
- Q1
- 6.63%
- Min
- 0.71%
WCN’s Return on Equity of 7.93% is on par with the norm for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
STN
7.10%
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 11.67%
- Q3
- 6.13%
- Median
- 3.82%
- Q1
- 2.31%
- Min
- -2.77%
A Net Profit Margin of 7.10% places STN in the upper quartile for the Construction & Engineering industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
WCN
6.97%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 16.98%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.35%
- Q1
- 3.42%
- Min
- -2.31%
WCN’s Net Profit Margin of 6.97% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
STN
9.22%
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 17.78%
- Q3
- 9.61%
- Median
- 6.19%
- Q1
- 3.73%
- Min
- -1.78%
STN’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.22% is around the midpoint for the Construction & Engineering industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
WCN
12.19%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.33%
- Q3
- 12.51%
- Median
- 8.33%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- -2.90%
WCN’s Operating Profit Margin of 12.19% is around the midpoint for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 15.34% | 7.93% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.37% | 3.19% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.10% | 6.97% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 9.22% | 12.19% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 54.44% | 42.03% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
STN
1.29
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 2.17
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.65
STN’s Current Ratio of 1.29 aligns with the median group of the Construction & Engineering industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
WCN
0.67
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.73
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.59
WCN’s Current Ratio of 0.67 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)
STN
0.69
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.31
- Min
- 0.00
STN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.69 is typical for the Construction & Engineering industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
WCN
1.00
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.24
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
WCN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.00 is typical for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
STN
60.60
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 36.37
- Q3
- 17.88
- Median
- 8.20
- Q1
- 4.98
- Min
- -6.49
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 60.60, STN demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Construction & Engineering industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
WCN
3.42
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 13.44
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.42
- Min
- -10.97
WCN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.42 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 | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.29 | 0.67 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.26 | 0.57 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.69 | 1.00 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 60.60 | 3.42 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
STN
0.55%
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 5.80%
- Q3
- 3.33%
- Median
- 2.22%
- Q1
- 0.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
STN’s Dividend Yield of 0.55% is consistent with its peers in the Construction & Engineering industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
WCN
0.71%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 2.43%
- Median
- 1.58%
- Q1
- 0.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
WCN’s Dividend Yield of 0.71% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
STN
22.30%
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 139.17%
- Q3
- 74.39%
- Median
- 51.48%
- Q1
- 15.67%
- Min
- 0.00%
STN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.30% is within the typical range for the Construction & Engineering industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
WCN
28.21%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 73.07%
- Median
- 44.79%
- Q1
- 27.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
WCN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.21% 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 | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.55% | 0.71% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.30% | 28.21% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
STN
40.55
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 41.00
- Q3
- 26.91
- Median
- 16.02
- Q1
- 13.49
- Min
- 1.65
A P/E Ratio of 40.55 places STN in the upper quartile for the Construction & Engineering industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
WCN
69.38
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.87
- Q3
- 33.40
- Median
- 23.56
- Q1
- 15.28
- Min
- 6.56
At 69.38, WCN’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
STN
2.88
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 2.93
- Q3
- 1.65
- Median
- 0.71
- Q1
- 0.45
- Min
- 0.11
STN’s P/S Ratio of 2.88 is in the upper echelon for the Construction & Engineering 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.
WCN
4.84
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.84
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
WCN’s P/S Ratio of 4.84 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)
STN
4.38
Construction & Engineering Industry
- Max
- 7.96
- Q3
- 4.06
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.23
- Min
- 0.24
STN’s P/B Ratio of 4.38 is in the upper tier for the Construction & Engineering industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
WCN
5.64
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.40
- Q3
- 3.97
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.40
WCN’s P/B Ratio of 5.64 is in the upper tier for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | STN | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 40.55 | 69.38 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.88 | 4.84 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 4.38 | 5.64 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 28.23 | 39.17 |