Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWNB) vs Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | BWNB | -1.4% revenue growth vs BWSN's -1.4% |
| Quality / Margins | BWNB | -20.1% net margin vs BWSN's -20.1% |
| Stability / Safety | BWSN | Beta 0.25 vs BWNB's 0.50 |
| Dividends | BWNB | 0.8% yield, 1-year raise streak, vs BWSN's 0.8% |
| Momentum (1Y) | BWNB | +28.2% vs BWSN's +16.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BWNB | -16.5% ROA vs BWSN's -16.5%, ROIC 8.8% vs 8.8% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is an industrial technology company that provides energy generation, emissions control, and environmental solutions to utilities, industrial facilities, and municipalities worldwide. It makes money through three main segments: Thermal (steam generation systems), Environmental (emissions control technologies), and Renewable (waste-to-energy and biomass systems) — with Thermal typically being the largest revenue contributor. The company's key advantage is its century-long expertise in steam generation and emissions control technologies, creating deep customer relationships and technical barriers to entry in specialized industrial markets.
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is a provider of fossil and renewable power generation equipment and environmental solutions. It makes money through three main segments: B&W Renewable (waste-to-energy systems), B&W Environmental (emissions control equipment), and B&W Thermal (steam generation and aftermarket services). The company's competitive advantage lies in its century-plus engineering expertise and established relationships with power utilities and industrial clients.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
BWNB leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). BWSN leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BWNB and BWSN operate at a comparable scale, with $541M and $541M in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -20.1% (BWNB) to -20.1% (BWSN).
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $541M | $541M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $12M | $12M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$108M | -$108M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$102M | -$102M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +26.8% | +26.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.2% | +0.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -20.1% | -20.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -18.9% | -18.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -29.0% | -29.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.0% | +4.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BWNB's 69.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BWSN's 69.6x.
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.4B | $2.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.9B | $2.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -30.45x | -30.71x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 69.15x | 69.63x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.31x | 3.34x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -16.5% | -16.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +8.8% | +8.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +6.6% | +6.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $515M | $515M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $23M | $23M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $538M | $538M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.79x | -0.79x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BWSN five years ago would be worth $13,644 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $12,748 for BWNB. Over the past 12 months, BWNB leads with a +28.2% total return vs BWSN's +16.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BWNB at 9.5% vs BWSN's 7.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +2.2% | — |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +28.2% | +16.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +31.2% | +24.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +27.5% | +36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +27.5% | +37.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +9.5% | +7.5% |
Risk & Volatility
BWSN is the less volatile stock with a 0.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BWNB's 0.50 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.50x | 0.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $25.40 | $25.40 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.05 | $7.09 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +98.3% | +99.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 60.3 | 67.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 14K | 2K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, BWNB offers the higher dividend yield at 0.81% vs BWSN's 0.80%.
| Metric | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.8% | +0.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.0% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Dec 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 100 | 99.64 | -0.4% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 100 | 96.07 | -3.9% |
Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) returned +36% over 5 years vs Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB)'s +27%. A $10,000 investment in BWSN 5 years ago would be worth $13,644 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | $1.8B | $717M | -59.2% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | $1.8B | $717M | -59.2% |
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's revenue grew from $1.8B (2015) to $717M (2024) — a -9.5% CAGR. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's revenue grew from $1.8B (2015) to $717M (2024) — a -9.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 1.1% | -8.4% | -866.8% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 1.1% | -8.4% | -866.8% |
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's net margin went from 1% (2015) to -8% (2024). Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's net margin went from 1% (2015) to -8% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 1.78 | -0.82 | -146.1% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 1.78 | -0.82 | -146.1% |
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's EPS grew from $1.78 (2015) to $-0.82 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's EPS grew from $1.78 (2015) to $-0.82 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I generated $-130M FCF in 2024 (-10% vs 2021). Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I generated $-130M FCF in 2024 (-10% vs 2021).
BWNB vs BWSN: Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Which is the better long-term investment — BWNB or BWSN?
Over the past 5 years, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) delivered a total return of +36.4%, compared to +27.5% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWNB). A $10,000 investment in BWSN five years ago would be worth approximately $14K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BWSN returned +37.3% versus BWNB's +27.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
02Which is safer — BWNB or BWSN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.25β versus Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's 0.50β — meaning BWNB is approximately 106% more volatile than BWSN relative to the S&P 500.
03Which has better profit margins — BWNB or BWSN?
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWNB) is the more profitable company, earning -8.4% net margin versus -8.4% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I — meaning it keeps -8.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BWNB leads at 3.5% versus 3.5% for BWSN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BWNB leads at 24.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
04Which pays a better dividend — BWNB or BWSN?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWNB) offers the highest yield at 0.8%, versus 0.8% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN).
05Is BWNB or BWSN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.25), 0.8% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BWSN: +37.3%, BWNB: +27.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
06What are the main differences between BWNB and BWSN?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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