PWR vs J Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Quanta Services is a more concentrated play on the physical buildout of electric transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to support rising data center power demand, while Jacobs Solutions is a diversified engineering and consulting firm with broader exposure across infrastructure, water, and advanced manufacturing markets. Quanta offers more direct, higher-beta exposure to grid infrastructure spending, while Jacobs offers a more diversified, asset-light services model with steadier margins. The choice depends on whether an investor wants concentrated grid infrastructure exposure or diversified engineering services exposure.
Use this comparison to weigh concentrated, higher-growth electric grid infrastructure construction exposure (Quanta Services) against diversified, asset-light engineering and consulting exposure (Jacobs Solutions).
PWR holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. PWR has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+46.98% vs -11.62%), though J has the better forward P/E setup (18.40x vs 30.69x for PWR). On fundamentals, PWR is growing revenue faster (41.10%), while J maintains the higher operating margin (7.39%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for PWR (+27.77%) 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 concentrated exposure to electric grid modernization and transmission buildout
- Believe data center power demand will keep utility capital spending elevated for years
- Are comfortable with project-based revenue that can be lumpy quarter to quarter
- Accept a valuation that already reflects strong AI-driven infrastructure demand optimism
- Prefer diversified engineering and consulting exposure across multiple infrastructure end markets
- Value an asset-light business model with steadier margins than construction-heavy peers
- Want exposure to government infrastructure and advanced manufacturing spending
- Are comfortable with more moderate, broad-based growth versus a concentrated power infrastructure bet
| Metric | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 79.6 | 48.0 |
| AI ranki | #9 | #564 |
| Latest closei | $642.21 | $141.97 |
| 1M returni | +4.71% | -2.03% |
| 3M returni | +1.77% | +7.30% |
| 6M returni | +9.33% | +12.45% |
| 1Y returni | +46.98% | -11.62% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $14.68K (+46.8%) started 2025-10-16 | $9.1K (-9.0%) started 2025-10-16 |
| 5Y ago | $57.72K (+477.2%) started 2021-10-18 | $13.25K (+32.5%) started 2021-10-18 |
| 10Y ago | $241.41K (+2314.1%) started 2016-10-17 | $37.53K (+275.3%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $90.61B | $17.79B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 68.96 | 50.49 |
| Forward P/Ei | 30.69 | 18.40 |
| Price/Salesi | 2.15 | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 2.94 | 1.45 |
| Analyst targeti | $770.04 | $162.53 |
| Target upsidei | +27.77% | +6.94% |
| Metric | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 41.10% | 34.50% |
| Earnings growthi | 94.70% | -25.40% |
| EPS growthi | +94.70% | -25.40% |
| FCF margini | +5.94% | +4.54% |
| Operating margini | 7.22% | 7.39% |
| Profit margini | 4.03% | 2.38% |
| ROIC proxyi | 15.34% | 8.00% |
| Return on equityi | 15.34% | 8.00% |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.07% | 0.96% |
| Payout ratioi | 4.93% | 45.18% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | No increase yet |
| Betai | 1.22 | 0.67 |
| Debt/equityi | 67.78 | 124.73 |
| Current ratioi | 1.10 | 1.29 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.98 | 1.25 |
Over the past year, PWR and J have moved barely in the same direction (correlation of 0.08), 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 | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +46.78% | -9.03% |
| CAGRi | +46.89% | -9.05% | |
| Volatilityi | 44.59% | 32.94% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.98 | -0.26 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.59 | -0.34 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.54% | 34.77% | |
| Current drawdowni | 18.21% | 13.66% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.69% | 17.37% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 10.62% | 18.63% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.17% | 10.95% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 14.61% | 16.61% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +473.58% | +29.58% |
| CAGRi | +41.87% | +5.33% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.12% | 26.17% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.01 | 0.16 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.53 | 0.22 | |
| Max drawdowni | 33.89% | 34.77% | |
| Current drawdowni | 18.21% | 13.66% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.89% | 12.24% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.98% | 14.25% | |
| Max daily dropi | 18.32% | 10.95% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 17.88% | 16.61% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +2269.50% | +255.94% |
| CAGRi | +37.25% | +13.54% | |
| Volatilityi | 34.58% | 27.85% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.96 | 0.44 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.46 | 0.62 | |
| Max drawdowni | 45.53% | 39.33% | |
| Current drawdowni | 18.21% | 13.66% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.73% | 10.23% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 10.60% | 12.72% | |
| Max daily dropi | 18.32% | 12.10% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 24.31% | 24.33% |
| Category | PWR | J |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Quanta Services, Inc. | Jacobs Solutions Inc. |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Engineering & Construction | Engineering & Construction |
| Core business | Quanta Services builds and maintains electric power transmission, distribution, and renewable energy infrastructure for utilities and energy customers across North America. | Jacobs Solutions provides engineering, design, consulting, and program management services across infrastructure, water, environmental, and advanced manufacturing markets globally. |
| Investor focus | Investors watch backlog growth tied to grid modernization and data center power connection projects, margin trends across its electric power segment, and the pace of utility capital spending. | Investors focus on backlog growth across its infrastructure and advanced facilities segments, margin expansion from a shift toward higher-value consulting work, and government infrastructure funding trends. |
- Direct beneficiary of grid modernization and transmission buildout needed to support rising data center electricity demand
- Large, growing backlog provides multi-year revenue visibility
- Established relationships with major utilities across a fragmented specialty construction market
- Diversified end markets spanning water, infrastructure, environmental, and advanced manufacturing reduce single-sector dependence
- Asset-light, consulting-oriented business model generates strong margins relative to construction peers
- Benefits from government infrastructure spending programs and growing advanced manufacturing and data center design work
- Project-based revenue can be lumpy depending on the timing of large utility and infrastructure contracts
- Labor availability and cost inflation can pressure margins on fixed-price contracts
- Valuation has re-rated higher on AI-driven electricity infrastructure demand optimism
- Growth is more moderate and diversified than pure-play power infrastructure names, diluting direct AI power theme exposure
- Government funding cycles and public sector budget priorities can affect project timing
- Global operations expose the business to currency and geopolitical variability
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