J vs ACM Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Jacobs Solutions and AECOM are both evaluated as global infrastructure engineering and consulting firms benefiting from public infrastructure spending, water investment, and portfolio shifts toward higher-margin, fee-based services. Both compare on backlog growth, segment mix, and margin trajectory rather than dramatic differences in business model. The choice between them often comes down to relative segment exposure and execution track record on margin improvement initiatives.
This comparison suits investors seeking exposure to global infrastructure and engineering services spending, where relative backlog growth and margin execution between two similarly positioned firms drive the decision.
J holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. J has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-11.62% vs -55.51%), though ACM has the better forward P/E setup (9.93x vs 18.40x for J). J leads on both revenue growth (34.50%) and operating margin (7.39%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ACM (+36.81%) than for J (+6.94%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want diversified exposure across water, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing
- Believe in the company's ongoing portfolio simplification strategy
- Value strong positioning in structurally growing water infrastructure markets
- Are comfortable with government funding cycle exposure
- Want exposure to global transportation and water infrastructure programs
- Believe in AECOM's shift toward a higher-margin, fee-based model
- Value a large, diversified international backlog
- Are comfortable with public sector budget cyclicality
| Metric | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 48.0 | 36.1 |
| AI ranki | #564 | #1529 |
| Latest closei | $141.97 | $59.09 |
| 1M returni | -2.03% | -7.90% |
| 3M returni | +7.30% | -15.53% |
| 6M returni | +12.45% | -30.99% |
| 1Y returni | -11.62% | -55.51% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.1K (-9.0%) started 2025-10-16 | $4.51K (-54.9%) started 2025-10-16 |
| 5Y ago | $13.25K (+32.5%) started 2021-10-18 | $9.37K (-6.3%) started 2021-10-18 |
| 10Y ago | $37.53K (+275.3%) started 2016-10-17 | $21.22K (+112.2%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $17.79B | $8.18B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 50.49 | 22.37 |
| Forward P/Ei | 18.40 | 9.93 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 1.45 | 0.69 |
| Analyst targeti | $162.53 | $86.92 |
| Target upsidei | +6.94% | +36.81% |
| Metric | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 34.50% | -14.20% |
| Earnings growthi | -25.40% | N/A |
| EPS growthi | -25.40% | N/A |
| FCF margini | +4.54% | +2.47% |
| Operating margini | 7.39% | -1.84% |
| Profit margini | 2.38% | 1.87% |
| ROIC proxyi | 8.00% | 16.61% |
| Return on equityi | 8.00% | 16.61% |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.96% | 1.95% |
| Payout ratioi | 45.18% | 41.90% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | N/A |
| Betai | 0.67 | 0.91 |
| Debt/equityi | 124.73 | 138.88 |
| Current ratioi | 1.29 | 1.06 |
| Quick ratioi | 1.25 | 0.93 |
Over the past year, J and ACM have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.59), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -9.03% | -54.89% |
| CAGRi | -9.05% | -54.96% | |
| Volatilityi | 32.94% | 37.24% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.26 | -2.07 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.34 | -2.42 | |
| Max drawdowni | 34.77% | 56.62% | |
| Current drawdowni | 13.66% | 56.02% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 17.37% | 36.19% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 18.63% | 39.29% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.95% | 12.38% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.61% | 22.47% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +29.58% | -6.31% |
| CAGRi | +5.33% | -1.30% | |
| Volatilityi | 26.17% | 27.66% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.16 | -0.07 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.22 | -0.09 | |
| Max drawdowni | 34.77% | 56.62% | |
| Current drawdowni | 13.66% | 56.02% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 12.24% | 12.59% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.25% | 19.23% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.95% | 12.38% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.61% | 22.47% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +255.94% | +112.25% |
| CAGRi | +13.54% | +7.82% | |
| Volatilityi | 27.85% | 31.42% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.44 | 0.26 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.62 | 0.36 | |
| Max drawdowni | 39.33% | 56.62% | |
| Current drawdowni | 13.66% | 56.02% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 10.23% | 13.10% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 12.72% | 18.09% | |
| Max daily dropi | 12.10% | 16.89% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 24.33% | 34.68% |
| Category | J | ACM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Jacobs Solutions Inc. | AECOM |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Core business | Jacobs Solutions provides engineering, consulting, and project management services across infrastructure, water, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing markets. | AECOM provides infrastructure consulting, design, and program management services for transportation, water, environmental, and government clients worldwide. |
| Investor focus | Investors watch backlog growth in water and infrastructure segments, margin improvement from its portfolio simplification strategy, and exposure to government infrastructure spending. | Investors watch AECOM's transition to a fee-based, design-focused business model, backlog growth in transportation and water markets, and margin expansion progress. |
- Diversified backlog spanning water, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing end markets
- Ongoing portfolio simplification aimed at improving margins and focus
- Strong position in water infrastructure, a structurally growing category
- Large global backlog across transportation and water infrastructure markets
- Shift toward higher-margin, fee-based professional services
- Benefits from sustained public infrastructure investment in multiple countries
- Exposure to government funding cycles and infrastructure spending bills
- Margin execution risk as it continues to reshape its portfolio
- Competitive bidding pressure in large engineering contracts
- Sensitive to public sector budget cycles and infrastructure funding timing
- Execution risk on large, complex, multi-year programs
- Competitive pressure from other global engineering and consulting firms
Compare more than two at a time
This page is a fixed writeup on J and ACM. Our comparison engine is the interactive version: load up to five tickers, switch timeframes, and get the correlation, drawdown, and overlap analysis that a static page can't show.
Add three more names beside J and ACM, mixing stocks and ETFs in the same table — useful when the real question is which of a whole peer group to own.
AI score, forward P/E, analyst target upside, operating margin, and revenue growth are scored head-to-head, with a running tally of which ticker leads on how many metrics.
Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
Pairwise daily-return correlation for every combination, so you can see whether two holdings actually diversify each other or just move together.
A scatter plot of forward P/E against return on equity, plus drawdown and 30-day rolling volatility charts, to separate what is cheap from what is merely beaten down.
For ETFs, a top-holdings comparison that exposes hidden overlap between funds. Every comparison exports to CSV for your own spreadsheet work.
Two comparisons a week are free without an account. A 14-day trial removes the limit and adds AI price forecasts, stock rankings, saved watchlists, and the intrinsic value calculator — no credit card required.
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.