STN vs WSC vs URI vs CAT vs VMC

For growth investors, Stantec Inc.

(STN) is the stronger pick with 15. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -4. 8% for WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC). United Rentals, Inc. (URI) offers the better valuation at 24. 5x trailing P/E (20. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC) a "Buy" — based on 13 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, United Rentals, Inc.

(URI) is the cheapest at 24. 5x versus Caterpillar Inc. at 47. 6x. On forward P/E, United Rentals, Inc. is actually cheaper at 20. 1x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: United Rentals, Inc. wins at 0. 78x versus Vulcan Materials Company's 2. 40x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Caterpillar Inc.

(CAT) delivered a total return of +282. 5%, compared to -19. 5% for WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: URI returned +1483% versus WSC's +144. 8%. 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), Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

80β versus WillScot Holdings Corporation's 2. 06β — meaning WSC is approximately 158% more volatile than VMC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 63% versus 5% for WillScot Holdings Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

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

(STN) is pulling ahead at 15. 7% versus -4. 8% for WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Vulcan Materials Company grew EPS 18. 5% year-over-year, compared to -293. 3% for WillScot Holdings Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, STN leads at 17. 9% 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.

United Rentals, Inc.

(URI) is the more profitable company, earning 15. 5% net margin versus -2. 3% for WillScot Holdings Corporation — meaning it keeps 15. 5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: URI leads at 24. 7% versus 7. 9% for STN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WSC leads at 46. 8%, 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, United Rentals, Inc. (URI) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 78x versus Vulcan Materials Company's 2. 40x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, United Rentals, Inc. (URI) trades at 20. 1x forward P/E versus 38. 8x for Caterpillar Inc. — 18. 7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for VMC: 13. 2% to $327. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC) offers the highest yield at 1. 2%, versus 0. 7% for Caterpillar Inc. (CAT).

For long-horizon retirement investors, United Rentals, Inc.

(URI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 19), 0. 8% yield, +1483% 10Y return). WillScot Holdings Corporation (WSC) carries a higher beta of 2. 06 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (URI: +1483%, WSC: +144. 8%), 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 (STN (Industrials) and WSC (Industrials) and URI (Industrials) and CAT (Industrials) and VMC (Basic Materials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: STN is a mid-cap high-growth stock; WSC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; URI is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; CAT is a large-cap quality compounder stock; VMC is a mid-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.