KEQU vs AYI vs WMS Stock Comparison

Kewaunee Scientific, Acuity Inc. (De) and Advanced Drainage Systems Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
AYI Acuity Inc. (De)
$323.34 +1.2% 1M -12.7% 1Y
Market cap
$9.64B
P/E
18.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$4.64B
Div. yield
0.00%
Building Products Industrials
4 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Advanced Drainage Systems leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Advanced Drainage Systems 5, Acuity Inc. (De) 4, Kewaunee Scientific 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionKEQUAYIWMSLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $95.27M $9.64B $9.94B WMS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 11.6x 18.1x 22.0x KEQU
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS — 16.2x 20.5x AYI
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +5.3% +6.8% +10.4% WMS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 3.0% 11.4% 14.0% WMS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 10.2% 15.4% 14.7% AYI
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.2x 0.1x 1.6x AYI
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.01% WMS
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -20.9% -12.7% -8.3% WMS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +22.1%/yr +9.2%/yr +3.3%/yr KEQU
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 36.1% 38.0% 36.2% KEQU
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 65/100 81/100 65/100 AYI

Percentile Scorecard

KEQUAYIWMS

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

AxisKEQUAYIWMS
Valuation 98 #2 of 56 73 #16 of 56 49 #29 of 56
Growth 57 #23 of 52 82 #10 of 52 51 #26 of 52
Profitability 35 #32 of 49 79 #11 of 49 88 #7 of 49
Financial Health 62 #22 of 56 87 #8 of 56 55 #26 of 56
Shareholder Returns 75 #11 of 41 83 #8 of 41 85 #7 of 41
Overall 65 81 65
  • KEQU ranked among 60 companies in Construction Products
  • AYI ranked among 60 companies in Construction Products
  • WMS ranked among 60 companies in Construction Products

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodKEQUAYIWMSSPY
1 month +2.8%+1.2%-1.6% -0.2%
3 months -1.7%-6.1%-9.7% +3.9%
6 months -5.8%+13.4%-12.3% +8.2%
Year to date -6.5%-10.2%-9.6% +12.9%
1 year -20.9%-12.7%-8.3% +12.3%
3 years +91.7%+104.2%+24.3% +87.4%
3 years, per year +24.2%+26.9%+7.5% +23.3%
5 years +171.2%+55.4%+17.7% +67.9%
5 years, per year +22.1%+9.2%+3.3% +10.9%
10 years +60.5%+43.2%+564.9% +261.1%
10 years, per year +4.8%+3.7%+20.9% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureKEQUAYIWMSSPY
Volatility, 1Y 36.1%38.0%36.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 37.8%41.6%33.2% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.651.401.37 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.58-0.34-0.23 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -55.4%-34.7%-50.3% -25.4%
From 52-week high -20.9%-14.2%-25.3% -1.2%
52-week high $44.21$376.69$175.38 $779.14
52-week low $32.19$257.79$125.22 $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.

MultipleKEQUAYIWMS
P/E now vs peer median 12.2xmedian 20.1x 18.5xmedian 20.1x 22.2xmedian 20.1x
P/S now vs peer median 0.4xmedian 1.5x 2.1xmedian 1.5x 2.9xmedian 1.5x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 6.2xmedian 11.8x 11.1xmedian 11.8x 12.0xmedian 11.8x
P/FCF now vs peer median 9.3xmedian 16.2x 12.8xmedian 16.2x 17.0xmedian 16.2x
P/B now vs peer median 1.3xmedian 2.9x 3.2xmedian 2.9x 5.1xmedian 2.9x
PEG now vs peer median 0.45median 0.99 1.11median 0.99 -11.85median 0.99

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 monthsKEQUAYIWMS
Revenue $277.22M $4.64B $3.22B
Gross profit $79.15M $2.35B $1.24B
Operating income $15.06M $713.70M $668.00M
Net income $9.06M $531.30M $455.60M
Free cash flow $10.88M $747.90M $550.15M
EPS (diluted) $2.82 $17.06 $5.86
Cash & equivalents $8.25M $636.30M $162.25M
Total debt $32.83M $697.40M $1.61B
Shares (diluted) 2.92M 31.15M 77.02M
Enterprise value $56.33M $7.94B $7.73B

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
MetricKEQUAYIWMS
P/E 12.2x 18.5x 22.2x
P/FCF 9.3x 12.8x 17.0x
P/Operating cash flow 6.8x 11.6x 11.6x
P/S 0.4x 2.1x 2.9x
P/B 1.3x 3.2x 5.1x
P/Tangible book 1.7x 4.9x 9.4x
EV/EBITDA 6.2x 11.1x 12.0x
EV/EBIT 8.4x 13.5x 16.2x
EV/Revenue 0.5x 2.1x 3.3x
EV/FCF 11.6x 12.9x 19.6x
EV/Operating cash flow 8.5x 11.7x 13.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.45 1.11 -11.85

Growth

14 metrics
MetricKEQUAYIWMS
Revenue growth (1Y) 5.3% 6.8% 10.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 8.1% 5.5% 3.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 2.4% 13.1% 14.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 24.2% 11.1% 4.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) -24.7% 26.6% 4.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 16.3% 14.7% -2.2%
Net income growth (1Y) -27.5% 34.0% 4.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 22.3% 15.4% -2.8%
EPS growth (1Y) -32.1% 36.1% 5.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 27.1% 16.6% -1.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -30.7% 37.3% 19.5%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 177.0% 12.6% 4.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -41.8% 40.3% 18.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 62.7% 13.5% 1.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricKEQUAYIWMS
Gross margin 28.6% 50.6% 38.6%
EBITDA margin 7.4% 18.7% 27.9%
Operating margin 5.4% 15.4% 20.7%
Pretax margin 4.5% 14.7% 18.6%
Net margin 3.0% 11.4% 14.0%
FCF margin 3.9% 16.1% 17.1%
Operating cash flow margin 5.3% 17.8% 25.0%
Return on equity 11.9% 18.2% 24.6%
Return on assets 5.2% 11.2% 10.1%
Return on invested capital 10.2% 15.4% 14.7%
Return on capital employed 11.6% 19.5% 17.0%
Asset turnover 1.6x 1.0x 0.7x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.6x 1.6x 1.8x
Stock comp / revenue 1.3% 1.1% 1.2%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricKEQUAYIWMS
Debt / assets 18.7% 14.3% 35.8%
Debt / equity 0.4x 0.2x 0.9x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.2x 0.1x 1.6x
Debt / FCF 3.0x 0.9x 2.9x
Liabilities / assets 56.1% 39.0% 59.7%
Equity / assets 43.9% 61.0% 40.3%
Interest coverage 4.4x – –
Current ratio 2.2x 1.7x 2.1x
Quick ratio 1.4x 1.2x 1.1x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.6x 0.3x
Altman Z-score 3.42 6.03 4.09

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricKEQUAYIWMS
Dividend yield – 0.2% 0.6%
Net buyback yield 3.3% 2.9% 3.4%
Shareholder yield 3.3% 3.2% 4.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 4.5% 12.6%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 3.2% 10.4%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 15.5% 12.0%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 12.3% 12.3%

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.

ConsensusKEQUAYIWMS
Forward P/E – 16.2xFY2027 20.5xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year – $20.01FY2027 $6.40FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – +0.6%FY2027 +2.1%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after – +21.7% +22.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year – $4.68BFY2027 $3.62BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY – +0.9%FY2027 +18.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after – +14.4% +5.8%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersKEQUAYIWMS
Held by institutions 41.8% 99.2% 90.9%
Institutions holding 32 631 553
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.0% +4.1% +0.3%
Institutions buying 11 330 259
Institutions selling 7 190 209
Buyers to sellers 1.57 1.74 1.24

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.

KEQUAYIWMS
KEQU 1.00 0.22 0.14
AYI 0.22 1.00 0.45
WMS 0.14 0.45 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, KEQU, AYI and WMS?

Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) $95.27M, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) $9.64B, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) $9.94B.

Which stock is cheaper, KEQU, AYI and WMS?

Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) 11.6x, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 18.1x, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 22.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) is cheapest (Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 16.2x, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 20.5x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) +5.3%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) +6.8%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) +10.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) has the highest net margin (Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) 3.0%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 11.4%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 14.0%). On return on invested capital, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) leads (Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) 10.2%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 15.4%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 14.7%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) returned the most: Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) -20.9%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) -12.7%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) -8.3%. Over five years, Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) compounded fastest (Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) +22.1%/yr, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) +9.2%/yr, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) +3.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) has the highest dividend yield: Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) 0.00%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 0.00%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 0.01%. Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) has been the steadiest (Kewaunee Scientific (KEQU) 36.1%, Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI) 38.0%, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) 36.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, KEQU, AYI and WMS?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) leads on 5. 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.