Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) vs Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWNB) 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 | BWSN | -1.4% revenue growth vs BWNB's -1.4% |
| Quality / Margins | BWSN | -20.1% net margin vs BWNB'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) | BWSN | -16.5% ROA vs BWNB'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 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.
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.
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)
BWSN and BWNB operate at a comparable scale, with $541M and $541M in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -20.1% (BWSN) to -20.1% (BWNB).
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & 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 | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.4B | $2.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.9B | $2.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -30.71x | -30.45x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 69.63x | 69.15x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.34x | 3.31x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & 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 | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | — | +2.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +16.6% | +28.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +24.3% | +31.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +36.4% | +27.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +37.3% | +27.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +7.5% | +9.5% |
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 | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.25x | 0.50x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $25.40 | $25.40 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $7.09 | $6.05 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.1% | +98.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 67.9 | 60.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2K | 14K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, BWNB offers the higher dividend yield at 0.81% vs BWSN's 0.80%.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | BWNBBabcock & 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 | Jan 22 | Dec 25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 100 | 96.07 | -3.9% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 100.16 | 98.99 | -1.2% |
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… (BWSN) | $1.8B | $717M | -59.2% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | $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… (BWSN) | 1.1% | -8.4% | -866.8% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 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… (BWSN) | 1.78 | -0.82 | -146.1% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWNB) | 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).
BWSN vs BWNB: Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Which is the better long-term investment — BWSN or BWNB?
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 — BWSN or BWNB?
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 — BWSN or BWNB?
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) 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: BWSN leads at 3.5% versus 3.5% for BWNB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BWSN 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 — BWSN or BWNB?
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 BWSN or BWNB 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 BWSN and BWNB?
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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