FSS vs ST vs CMI Stock Comparison

Federal Signal, Sensata Technologies Holding and Cummins Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
FSS Federal Signal Corp /De/
$115.92 +1.1% 1M -7.5% 1Y
Market cap
$7.08B
P/E
24.7x
Revenue (TTM)
$2.45B
Div. yield
0.51%
Heavy Equipment Industrials
6 wins
CMI Cummins Inc
$530.34 +1.0% 1M +26.0% 1Y
Market cap
$73.01B
P/E
26.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$34.71B
Div. yield
1.55%
Heavy Equipment Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Federal Signal leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Federal Signal 6, Cummins 3, Sensata Technologies Holding 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionFSSSTCMILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $7.08B $6.16B $73.01B CMI
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 24.7x 16.8x 26.9x ST
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 23.6x 11.8x 16.9x ST
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +24.0% +4.1% +2.9% FSS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 11.7% 9.5% 7.8% FSS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 15.3% 8.2% 13.6% FSS
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.8x 2.3x 0.7x CMI
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.51% 1.13% 1.55% CMI
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -7.5% +33.9% +26.0% ST
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +22.1%/yr -5.2%/yr +16.9%/yr FSS
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 35.0% 39.8% 37.1% FSS
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 75/100 63/100 59/100 FSS

Percentile Scorecard

FSSSTCMI

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisFSSSTCMI
Valuation 51 #101 of 203 88 #26 of 203 50 #103 of 203
Growth 94 #13 of 188 71 #55 of 188 52 #90 of 188
Profitability 90 #20 of 183 70 #56 of 183 71 #54 of 183
Financial Health 75 #55 of 217 42 #127 of 217 52 #104 of 217
Shareholder Returns 65 #54 of 153 47 #82 of 153 69 #48 of 153
Overall 75 63 59
  • FSS ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • ST ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • CMI ranked among 222 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodFSSSTCMISPY
1 month +1.1%+0.3%+1.0% -0.2%
3 months -1.6%-9.5%-17.3% +3.9%
6 months +3.7%+1.9%-17.5% +8.2%
Year to date +6.8%+27.1%+3.9% +12.9%
1 year -7.5%+33.9%+26.0% +12.3%
3 years +102.4%+23.3%+146.4% +87.4%
3 years, per year +26.5%+7.2%+35.1% +23.3%
5 years +171.6%-23.3%+118.5% +67.9%
5 years, per year +22.1%-5.2%+16.9% +10.9%
10 years +848.6%+14.3%+320.0% +261.1%
10 years, per year +25.2%+1.3%+15.4% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureFSSSTCMISPY
Volatility, 1Y 35.0%39.8%37.1% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 35.9%36.8%38.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.281.931.64 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.210.850.70 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -33.3%-72.8%-30.8% -25.4%
From 52-week high -13.3%-21.0%-27.1% -1.2%
52-week high $133.73$53.55$727.59 $779.14
52-week low $104.77$28.53$414.30 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleFSSSTCMI
P/E now vs peer median 24.7xmedian 25.2x 16.8xmedian 25.2x 26.9xmedian 25.2x
P/S now vs peer median 2.9xmedian 1.9x 1.6xmedian 1.9x 2.1xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.4xmedian 14.0x 10.0xmedian 14.0x 15.2xmedian 14.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median 20.9xmedian 21.7x 9.6xmedian 21.7x 21.7xmedian 21.7x
P/B now vs peer median 4.7xmedian 2.3x 2.0xmedian 2.3x 5.3xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median 0.87median 1.32 2.45median 1.32 8.40median 1.32

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsFSSSTCMI
Revenue $2.45B $3.85B $34.71B
Gross profit $714.00M $1.19B $8.79B
Operating income $395.40M $582.40M $3.89B
Net income $285.40M $366.60M $2.83B
Free cash flow $339.20M $641.20M $3.37B
R&D – $128.60M $1.44B
EPS (diluted) $4.64 $2.49 $19.60
Cash & equivalents $62.80M $553.40M $3.18B
Total debt $453.60M $2.40B $7.35B
Shares (diluted) 61.50M 147.00M 138.50M
Enterprise value $6.82B $3.99B $70.14B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricFSSSTCMI
P/E 24.7x 16.8x 26.9x
P/FCF 20.9x 9.6x 21.7x
P/Operating cash flow 19.0x 8.1x 15.7x
P/S 2.9x 1.6x 2.1x
P/B 4.7x 2.0x 5.3x
P/Tangible book 6.3x 2.3x 6.2x
EV/EBITDA 15.4x 10.0x 15.2x
EV/EBIT 18.9x 13.7x 19.6x
EV/Revenue 3.1x 2.1x 2.2x
EV/FCF 22.0x 12.5x 22.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 20.0x 10.5x 16.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.87 2.45 8.40

Growth

14 metrics
MetricFSSSTCMI
Revenue growth (1Y) 24.0% 4.1% 2.9%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 16.1% -1.9% 2.5%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 24.5% 11.4% 1.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 22.1% -3.3% 4.8%
Operating income growth (1Y) 27.8% 175.8% -6.0%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 28.8% 2.8% 4.1%
Net income growth (1Y) 28.8% 1,505% -7.8%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 28.6% 5.6% 2.9%
EPS growth (1Y) 28.4% 1,492% -7.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 28.6% 6.9% 3.2%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 45.6% 28.5% 63.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 59.2% 9.6% 28.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 49.8% 34.4% 103.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 73.3% 17.0% 45.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricFSSSTCMI
Gross margin 29.2% 30.8% 25.3%
EBITDA margin 19.8% 20.9% 14.4%
Operating margin 16.2% 15.1% 11.2%
Pretax margin 15.2% 12.4% 11.1%
Net margin 11.7% 9.5% 7.8%
FCF margin 13.9% 16.7% 9.7%
Operating cash flow margin 15.2% 19.7% 13.4%
Return on equity 19.4% 12.2% 20.7%
Return on assets 11.7% 5.5% 8.1%
Return on invested capital 15.3% 8.2% 13.6%
Return on capital employed 18.5% 10.0% 16.0%
Asset turnover 1.0x 0.6x 1.0x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.3x 2.1x 1.6x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.8% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricFSSSTCMI
Debt / assets 18.6% 35.8% 20.6%
Debt / equity 0.3x 0.8x 0.5x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.8x 2.3x 0.7x
Debt / FCF 1.3x 3.7x 2.2x
Liabilities / assets 38.2% 54.1% 61.0%
Equity / assets 61.8% 45.9% 39.0%
Interest coverage 19.3x 4.4x 12.1x
Current ratio 2.7x 2.4x 1.7x
Quick ratio 1.1x 1.5x 1.0x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.7x 0.4x
Altman Z-score 7.19 2.62 4.54

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricFSSSTCMI
Dividend yield 0.5% 1.1% 1.5%
Net buyback yield 0.0% 0.4% 0.6%
Shareholder yield 0.5% 1.5% 2.2%
Payout ratio (earnings) 12.6% – –
Payout ratio (FCF) 10.6% – –
Dividend growth (1Y) 13.6% – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 17.0% – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusFSSSTCMI
Forward P/E 23.6xFY2026 11.8xFY2026 16.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $4.92FY2026 $3.60FY2026 $31.39FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +16.3%FY2026 +5.3%FY2026 +31.9%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +10.0% +19.7% +14.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.79BFY2026 $3.79BFY2026 $35.38BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +28.1%FY2026 +2.3%FY2026 +5.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -5.3% +1.1% +11.3%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersFSSSTCMI
Held by institutions 100.0% 100.0% 85.4%
Institutions holding 474 467 2,106
Change in shares held, QoQ +3.9% +1.1% +1.0%
Institutions buying 249 265 1,049
Institutions selling 152 149 728
Buyers to sellers 1.64 1.78 1.44

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

FSSSTCMI
FSS 1.00 0.47 0.45
ST 0.47 1.00 0.65
CMI 0.45 0.65 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, FSS, ST and CMI?

Cummins (CMI) is the largest by market capitalisation: Federal Signal (FSS) $7.08B, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) $6.16B, Cummins (CMI) $73.01B.

Which stock is cheaper, FSS, ST and CMI?

Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Federal Signal (FSS) 24.7x, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 16.8x, Cummins (CMI) 26.9x). On next year's consensus earnings, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) is cheapest (Federal Signal (FSS) 23.6x, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 11.8x, Cummins (CMI) 16.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Federal Signal (FSS) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Federal Signal (FSS) +24.0%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) +4.1%, Cummins (CMI) +2.9%.

Which company is more profitable?

Federal Signal (FSS) has the highest net margin (Federal Signal (FSS) 11.7%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 9.5%, Cummins (CMI) 7.8%). On return on invested capital, Federal Signal (FSS) leads (Federal Signal (FSS) 15.3%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 8.2%, Cummins (CMI) 13.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) returned the most: Federal Signal (FSS) -7.5%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) +33.9%, Cummins (CMI) +26.0%. Over five years, Federal Signal (FSS) compounded fastest (Federal Signal (FSS) +22.1%/yr, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) -5.2%/yr, Cummins (CMI) +16.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Cummins (CMI) has the highest dividend yield: Federal Signal (FSS) 0.51%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 1.13%, Cummins (CMI) 1.55%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Federal Signal (FSS) has been the steadiest (Federal Signal (FSS) 35.0%, Sensata Technologies Holding (ST) 39.8%, Cummins (CMI) 37.1%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, FSS, ST and CMI?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Federal Signal (FSS) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.