SWK vs. WCN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at SWK and WCN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. | Waste Connections, Inc. |
| Country | United States | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Machinery | Commercial Services & Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 11.43 billion USD | 45.03 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | May 22, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of SWK 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 | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -1.01% | 2.22% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 9.71% | -3.95% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -5.24% | -10.63% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -32.25% | 1.20% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.05% | -3.60% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -7.42% | -0.79% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.02M | 0.42M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.23M | 0.31M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 37.86% | 17.47% |
| Beta | 1.22 | 0.41 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
SWK
6.59%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 33.68%
- Q3
- 20.05%
- Median
- 12.37%
- Q1
- 8.67%
- Min
- -7.69%
SWK’s Return on Equity of 6.59% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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)
SWK
3.85%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.72%
- Q3
- 11.07%
- Median
- 7.62%
- Q1
- 5.05%
- Min
- -1.52%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s Net Profit Margin of 3.85% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
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)
SWK
4.70%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 15.99%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -0.51%
SWK’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.70% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
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 | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.59% | 7.93% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.63% | 3.19% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.85% | 6.97% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 4.70% | 12.19% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 30.03% | 42.03% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
SWK
1.04
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.13
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.34
- Min
- 0.77
SWK’s Current Ratio of 1.04 falls into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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)
SWK
0.74
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.56
- Q3
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.00
SWK’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.74 is typical for the Machinery 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)
SWK
1.75
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 81.58
- Q3
- 37.68
- Median
- 13.76
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 1.75 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
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 | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.04 | 0.67 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.29 | 0.57 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.74 | 1.00 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.75 | 3.42 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
SWK
7.58%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.55%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 1.90%
- Q1
- 1.23%
- Min
- 0.00%
SWK’s Dividend Yield of 7.58% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Machinery industry. While this may seem attractive, an unusually high yield can sometimes be a warning sign, reflecting a falling stock price or market concerns about the dividend’s sustainability.
WCN
0.70%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 2.43%
- Median
- 1.58%
- Q1
- 0.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
WCN’s Dividend Yield of 0.70% 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)
SWK
148.38%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 198.34%
- Q3
- 101.42%
- Median
- 62.79%
- Q1
- 29.85%
- Min
- 0.00%
SWK’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 148.38% is in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
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 | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 7.58% | 0.70% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 148.38% | 28.21% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
SWK
19.59
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 47.95
- Q3
- 30.11
- Median
- 22.35
- Q1
- 16.56
- Min
- 6.48
SWK’s P/E Ratio of 19.59 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.
WCN
70.20
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.87
- Q3
- 33.40
- Median
- 23.56
- Q1
- 15.28
- Min
- 6.56
At 70.20, 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)
SWK
0.75
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.97
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.04
In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s P/S Ratio of 0.75 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
WCN
4.89
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.84
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
With a P/S Ratio of 4.89, WCN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
SWK
1.16
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.29
- Q3
- 4.06
- Median
- 2.67
- Q1
- 1.54
- Min
- 0.52
SWK’s P/B Ratio of 1.16 is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
WCN
5.65
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 5.65 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 | SWK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 19.59 | 70.20 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 0.75 | 4.89 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.16 | 5.65 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 6.90 | 39.63 |