MEC vs MLI vs AZZ Stock Comparison

Mayville Engineering Company, Mueller Industries and Azz Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
MLI Mueller Industries Inc
$54.40 -10.1% 1M -47.2% 1Y
Market cap
$11.90B
P/E
13.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$5.00B
Div. yield
0.01%
Metal Fabrication Industrials
8 wins
AZZ Azz Inc
$133.41 -2.6% 1M +35.2% 1Y
Market cap
$4.12B
P/E
24.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.75B
Div. yield
–
Metal Fabrication Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Mueller Industries leads on 8 of the 12 questions below (Mueller Industries 8, Azz 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionMECMLIAZZLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $313.51M $11.90B $4.12B MLI
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -18.1x 13.8x 24.6x MLI
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 54.6x 13.5x 18.1x MLI
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +11.8% +20.8% +9.5% MLI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -3.0% 17.3% 9.6% MLI
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -1.8% 22.7% 11.4% MLI
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 3.9x -1.3x 1.2x MLI
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.01% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -20.7% -47.2% +35.2% AZZ
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -5.9%/yr +15.9%/yr +20.8%/yr AZZ
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 54.6% 132.0% 32.1% AZZ
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 28/100 85/100 58/100 MLI

Percentile Scorecard

MECMLIAZZ

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

AxisMECMLIAZZ
Valuation 48 #106 of 203 81 #39 of 203 75 #52 of 203
Growth 11 #167 of 187 67 #63 of 187 63 #69 of 187
Profitability 23 #142 of 185 96 #9 of 185 72 #52 of 185
Financial Health 31 #151 of 219 97 #7 of 219 56 #98 of 219
Shareholder Returns – 86 #22 of 153 24 #117 of 153
Overall 28 85 58
  • MEC ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • MLI ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • AZZ ranked among 222 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodMECMLIAZZSPY
1 month -23.8%-10.1%-2.6% -0.8%
3 months -55.5%-15.2%-10.2% +3.5%
6 months -39.9%-60.1%-7.9% +7.0%
Year to date -30.0%-52.6%+24.5% +12.2%
1 year -20.7%-47.2%+35.2% +13.0%
3 years +22.1%+43.8%+187.2% +86.3%
3 years, per year +6.9%+12.9%+42.2% +23.1%
5 years -26.2%+109.0%+157.4% +68.6%
5 years, per year -5.9%+15.9%+20.8% +11.0%
10 years —+258.1%+149.6% +258.0%
10 years, per year —+13.6%+9.6% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureMECMLIAZZSPY
Volatility, 1Y 54.6%132.0%32.1% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 53.1%165.1%30.2% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.550.701.17 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.38-0.361.10 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -66.7%-61.6%-46.8% -25.4%
From 52-week high -65.1%-61.4%-16.7% -1.8%
52-week high $37.54$140.83$160.17 $779.14
52-week low $12.73$54.11$97.64 $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.

MultipleMECMLIAZZ
P/E now vs peer median -17.2xmedian 26.0x 13.7xmedian 26.0x 23.9xmedian 26.0x
P/S now vs peer median 0.6xmedian 1.9x 2.4xmedian 1.9x 2.3xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 14.5xmedian 14.0x 9.2xmedian 14.0x 11.7xmedian 14.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median -73.0xmedian 21.4x 17.2xmedian 21.4x 18.6xmedian 21.4x
P/B now vs peer median 1.0xmedian 2.2x 3.3xmedian 2.2x 2.8xmedian 2.2x
PEG now vs peer median 0.36median 1.26 1.07median 1.26 0.27median 1.26

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 monthsMECMLIAZZ
Revenue $586.34M $5.00B $1.75B
Gross profit $53.52M $1.36B $423.83M
Operating income -$12.80M $1.08B $287.42M
Net income -$17.30M $871.57M $167.46M
Free cash flow -$4.57M $689.59M $214.45M
EPS (diluted) $-0.76 $3.92 $5.56
Cash & equivalents $2.20M $1.45B $1.95M
Total debt $752.49M $5.24M $468.47M
Shares (diluted) 22.77M 220.12M 30.12M
Enterprise value $306.53M $6.21B $4.12B

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
MetricMECMLIAZZ
P/E -17.2x 13.7x 23.9x
P/FCF -73.0x 17.2x 18.6x
P/Operating cash flow 24.0x 15.4x 13.7x
P/S 0.6x 2.4x 2.3x
P/B 1.0x 3.3x 2.8x
P/Tangible book 1.5x 3.7x 4.0x
EV/EBITDA 14.5x 9.2x 11.7x
EV/EBIT -35.8x 9.7x 15.5x
EV/Revenue 0.8x 2.1x 2.6x
EV/FCF -100.1x 15.1x 20.8x
EV/Operating cash flow 32.8x 13.5x 15.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.36 1.07 0.27

Growth

14 metrics
MetricMECMLIAZZ
Revenue growth (1Y) 11.8% 20.8% 9.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 2.4% 11.9% 5.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) -5.8% 11.7% 11.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -4.2% 9.2% 8.9%
Operating income growth (1Y) -142.1% 12.4% 21.3%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -37.8% 9.9% 11.4%
Net income growth (1Y) -196.8% 14.9% -46.7%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -49.1% 11.4% 99.0%
EPS growth (1Y) -188.0% 16.2% -46.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -47.4% 12.8% 87.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -82.4% 2.1% -42.0%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -23.3% 3.0% 20.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -106.7% 1.9% -47.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 16.0% 1.6% 35.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricMECMLIAZZ
Gross margin 9.1% 27.3% 24.3%
EBITDA margin 5.4% 22.5% 21.8%
Operating margin -2.2% 21.5% 16.5%
Pretax margin -4.7% 22.8% 12.9%
Net margin -3.0% 17.3% 9.6%
FCF margin -0.8% 13.8% 12.3%
Operating cash flow margin 2.4% 15.4% 16.7%
Return on equity -6.2% 24.5% 12.0%
Return on assets -3.0% 20.4% 7.3%
Return on invested capital -1.8% 22.7% 11.4%
Return on capital employed -2.6% 29.7% 14.1%
Asset turnover 1.0x 1.2x 0.8x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.8x 0.9x 1.7x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.6% 0.8%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricMECMLIAZZ
Debt / assets 21.4% 0.1% 20.0%
Debt / equity 0.4x 0.0x 0.3x
Net debt / EBITDA 3.9x -1.3x 1.2x
Debt / FCF -27.5x 0.0x 2.2x
Liabilities / assets 44.7% 17.6% 39.5%
Equity / assets 55.3% 82.4% 60.5%
Interest coverage -0.9x 3,260x 6.3x
Current ratio 1.7x 4.4x 1.8x
Quick ratio 0.9x 3.4x 0.8x
Cash ratio 0.0x 2.3x 0.0x
Altman Z-score 1.92 13.45 4.44

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricMECMLIAZZ
Dividend yield – 1.2% 0.7%
Net buyback yield – 2.3% –
Shareholder yield – 3.5% 0.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 16.2% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – 20.5% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – 35.7% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 30.2% –

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.

ConsensusMECMLIAZZ
Forward P/E 54.6xFY2026 13.5xFY2026 18.1xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.24FY2026 $4.03FY2026 $7.37FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -22.6%FY2026 +17.5%FY2026 +19.1%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +354.2% +10.2% +12.1%
Revenue, next fiscal year $666.72MFY2026 $5.04BFY2026 $1.97BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +22.0%FY2026 +20.5%FY2026 +19.4%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +4.5% +10.9% -8.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersMECMLIAZZ
Held by institutions 83.1% 95.3% 94.6%
Institutions holding 156 738 364
Change in shares held, QoQ +47.1% +6.5% +1.1%
Institutions buying 98 419 196
Institutions selling 40 226 119
Buyers to sellers 2.45 1.85 1.65

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.

MECMLIAZZ
MEC 1.00 0.13 0.39
MLI 0.13 1.00 0.25
AZZ 0.39 0.25 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, MEC, MLI and AZZ?

Mueller Industries (MLI) is the largest by market capitalisation: Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) $313.51M, Mueller Industries (MLI) $11.90B, Azz (AZZ) $4.12B.

Which stock is cheaper, MEC, MLI and AZZ?

Mueller Industries (MLI) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) -18.1x, Mueller Industries (MLI) 13.8x, Azz (AZZ) 24.6x). On next year's consensus earnings, Mueller Industries (MLI) is cheapest (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) 54.6x, Mueller Industries (MLI) 13.5x, Azz (AZZ) 18.1x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Mueller Industries (MLI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) +11.8%, Mueller Industries (MLI) +20.8%, Azz (AZZ) +9.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Mueller Industries (MLI) has the highest net margin (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) -3.0%, Mueller Industries (MLI) 17.3%, Azz (AZZ) 9.6%). On return on invested capital, Mueller Industries (MLI) leads (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) -1.8%, Mueller Industries (MLI) 22.7%, Azz (AZZ) 11.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Azz (AZZ) returned the most: Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) -20.7%, Mueller Industries (MLI) -47.2%, Azz (AZZ) +35.2%. Over five years, Azz (AZZ) compounded fastest (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) -5.9%/yr, Mueller Industries (MLI) +15.9%/yr, Azz (AZZ) +20.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) 0.00%, Mueller Industries (MLI) 0.01%, Azz (AZZ) 0.00%. Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) and Azz (AZZ) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Azz (AZZ) has been the steadiest (Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) 54.6%, Mueller Industries (MLI) 132.0%, Azz (AZZ) 32.1%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, MEC, MLI and AZZ?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Mueller Industries (MLI) leads on 8. 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.