QXO vs LOW vs HD vs IBP

For growth investors, QXO, Inc.

(QXO) is the stronger pick with 119. 3% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 0% for Installed Building Products, Inc. (IBP). Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) offers the better valuation at 19. 5x trailing P/E (18. 3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate QXO, Inc. (QXO) a "Buy" — based on 5 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

(LOW) is the cheapest at 19. 5x versus The Home Depot, Inc. at 22. 7x. On forward P/E, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is actually cheaper at 18. 3x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Installed Building Products, Inc. wins at 0. 80x versus The Home Depot, Inc. 's 6. 01x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Installed Building Products, Inc.

(IBP) delivered a total return of +80. 6%, compared to -89. 1% for QXO, Inc. (QXO). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IBP returned +650. 1% versus QXO's -49. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Home Depot, Inc.

(HD) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 84β versus QXO, Inc. 's 2. 24β — meaning QXO is approximately 168% more volatile than HD relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, QXO, Inc. (QXO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 46% versus 148% for The Home Depot, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), QXO, Inc.

(QXO) is pulling ahead at 119. 3% versus 1. 0% for Installed Building Products, Inc. (IBP). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Installed Building Products, Inc. grew EPS 6. 7% year-over-year, compared to -472. 7% for QXO, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, QXO leads at 433. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Installed Building Products, Inc.

(IBP) is the more profitable company, earning 8. 9% net margin versus -4. 1% for QXO, Inc. — meaning it keeps 8. 9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IBP leads at 13. 0% versus -3. 6% for QXO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — IBP leads at 34. 0%, 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.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Installed Building Products, Inc. (IBP) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 80x versus The Home Depot, Inc. 's 6. 01x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) trades at 18. 3x forward P/E versus 51. 5x for QXO, Inc. — 33. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for QXO: 61. 0% to $30. 20.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

QXO, Inc. (QXO) offers the highest yield at 91. 1%, versus 1. 5% for Installed Building Products, Inc. (IBP).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

(LOW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 86), 2. 0% yield, +244. 9% 10Y return). QXO, Inc. (QXO) carries a higher beta of 2. 24 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (LOW: +244. 9%, QXO: -49. 7%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (QXO (Industrials) and LOW (Consumer Cyclical) and HD (Consumer Cyclical) and IBP (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: QXO is a small-cap high-growth stock; LOW is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; HD is a large-cap quality compounder stock; IBP is a small-cap quality compounder stock. 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.