TTEK vs. WCN: Tetra Tech vs. Waste Connections Stock Comparison
How do Tetra Tech (TTEK) 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
Tetra Tech (TTEK) and Waste Connections (WCN) are both classified in the Environmental & Facilities Services sub-industry within the broader Commercial Services & Supplies industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Tetra Tech 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 | Environmental & Facilities Services | Environmental & Facilities Services |
| Market Capitalization | 10.32 billion USD | 47.31 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 17, 1991 | May 22, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.45% | 15.20% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 11.17% | 14.07% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 3.89% | 7.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.39% | 25.62% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.84 | 0.41 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -47.50% | -24.90% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.25M | 1.56M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.67 | 0.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.02 | 0.69 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 24.30% 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.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
24.30%
- Max
- 47.06%
- Q3
- 25.43%
- TTEK
- 24.30%
- 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)
Waste Connections (WCN) at 11.40% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 10.00%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
10.00%
- Max
- 23.28%
- Q3
- 11.35%
- TTEK
- 10.00%
- 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)
Waste Connections (WCN) at 20.77% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 14.25%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
14.25%
- Max
- 38.50%
- Q3
- 18.84%
- TTEK
- 14.25%
- 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 | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 24.30% | 14.19% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.54% | 5.68% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 10.00% | 11.40% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.25% | 20.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 21.84% | 42.62% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 4.69% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.14% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Waste Connections (WCN) at 74.48% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Tetra Tech (TTEK) at -24.39% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for WCN.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 4.69% | 6.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 15.81% | 9.49% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.39% | 74.48% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -1.46% | 8.78% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 1.18 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.67 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for WCN.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
1.18
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 2.14
- Median
- 1.55
- TTEK
- 1.18
- 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)
Both Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 0.55 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 1.24 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.55
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.25
- Median
- 0.88
- TTEK
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.35
- 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 | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.18 | 0.67 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.55 | 1.24 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.21 | 3.01 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 0.66% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.73% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
0.66%
- Max
- 4.33%
- Q3
- 1.80%
- TTEK
- 0.66%
- Median
- 0.60%
- 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)
Both Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 16.08% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 31.39% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
16.08%
- Max
- 99.58%
- Q3
- 41.99%
- Median
- 17.27%
- TTEK
- 16.08%
- 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 | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.66% | 0.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 16.08% | 31.39% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 24.27 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.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
24.27
- Max
- 49.47
- Q3
- 33.76
- TTEK
- 24.27
- Median
- 24.16
- 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)
Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 2.37 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 4.76 sits in the pricier quartile — WCN costs more per dollar of sales.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
2.37
- Max
- 7.17
- Q3
- 3.35
- TTEK
- 2.37
- 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 Tetra Tech (TTEK) at 5.57 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.00 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
TTEK
Commercial & Professional Services industry group
5.57
- Max
- 11.25
- Q3
- 6.08
- TTEK
- 5.57
- 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 | TTEK | WCN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.27 | 42.39 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.37 | 4.76 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.57 | 6.00 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.84% | 2.28% |