EME vs STRL: EMCOR and Sterling Construction Company compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- EMCOR is the larger company, worth $32.5B, about 2.4 times Sterling Construction Company.
- Sterling Construction Company grew revenue faster over the last year (+90.1% vs +19.8%).
- Sterling Construction Company keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (17.5% vs 10.4%).
- On earnings, EMCOR is the cheaper stock (24.6x vs 39.0x).
- Sterling Construction Company's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 13% a year, against 9% for EMCOR (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | EME | STRL |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $32.5B | $13.4B |
| Share price | $789.45 | $513.00 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $17.0B | $2.5B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $1.2B | $363M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +19.8% | +90.1% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +14.4% | +15.2% |
| Operating margin | 10.4% | 17.5% |
| Net margin | 7.7% | 12.6% |
| Return on equity | 35.3% | 31.8% |
| P/E (trailing) | 24.6x | 39.0x |
| Price / free cash flow | 27.4x | 37.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 16.3x | 43.7x |
| FCF growth the price implies | 9.1% | 13.0% |
| Dividend yield | 0.18% | — |
| Debt / equity | 1.49x | 1.33x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 2 | 4 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 10 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
EMCOR
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $9.9B | $283M | 5.4% |
| 2022 | $11.1B | $449M | 5.1% |
| 2023 | $12.6B | $821M | 7.0% |
| 2024 | $14.6B | $1.3B | 9.2% |
| 2025 | $17.0B | $1.2B | 10.1% |
Sterling Construction Company
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1.4B | $112M | 7.6% |
| 2022 | $1.8B | $158M | 9.0% |
| 2023 | $2.0B | $414M | 10.4% |
| 2024 | $2.1B | $416M | 12.5% |
| 2025 | $2.5B | $363M | 16.3% |
Where the revenue comes from
EMCOR
No segment breakdown reported.
Sterling Construction Company · by segments, 2025
E-Infrastructure Solutions$1.5B59%
Transportation Solutions$641M26%
Building Solutions$383M15%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open EME in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, EMCOR or Sterling Construction Company?
EMCOR (EME), at $32.5B against $13.4B.
Is EME or STRL cheaper?
By trailing P/E, EMCOR (24.6x) is cheaper than Sterling Construction Company (39.0x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, EME or STRL?
Sterling Construction Company: revenue grew +90.1% over the last year, against +19.8%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.