CTRI vs MTZ: How Centuri Holdings and MasTec Compare (2026)

Last updated August 2026

Short answer

MTZ is the larger of the two ($21.13B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (19.99x forward earnings, beta 1.77). CTRI is the smaller challenger ($2.21B), priced similarly on forward earnings (22.44x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.

CTRI vs MTZ: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

MetricCTRIMTZWhat it tells you
Market cap$2.21B$21.13BSize. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove.
Forward P/E22.4419.99Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E78.1441.83Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta1.111.77Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range12% of range35% of rangeWhere today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.
Price / book2.566.20How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price.

Before you buy: how CTRI and MTZ affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CTRI and MTZ share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CTRI and MTZ exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does Centuri Holdings (CTRI) do?

Centuri Holdings (NYSE: CTRI) is a utility infrastructure services company operating across the United States and Canada through four segments: U.S. Gas Utility Services, Canadian Operations, Union Electric Utility Services and Non-Union Electric Utility Services. Its crews replace aging gas distribution pipe, build and maintain electric distribution and transmission lines, and handle related industrial and energy work under brands including NPL, Linetec, Riggs Distler and the recently acquired J.J. White. Roughly 80% to 85% of its backlog sits under multi-year master service agreements with regulated utilities, which makes a large share of the revenue recurring maintenance and replacement work rather than one-off construction. The company was carved out of Southwest Gas Holdings in an April 2024 IPO, and Southwest Gas sold its last shares in September 2025, so Centuri is now fully independent.

Full CTRI guide

What does MasTec (MTZ) do?

MasTec (NYSE: MTZ) is a Coral Gables, Florida based engineering and construction firm that builds and maintains large-scale infrastructure across four segments: Communications (wireless and wireline/fiber), Power Delivery (utility transmission and distribution), Pipeline Infrastructure (natural gas installation and maintenance), and Clean Energy and Infrastructure (renewables engineering, construction, and heavy civil). The company works for utilities, telecom carriers, energy operators, and government customers, and grows both organically and through acquisitions such as the roughly $1.65 billion planned Superior Group deal.

Full MTZ guide

CTRI vs MTZ: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

  • CTRI drivers: Utility capital spending on aging networks; Electric grid work and load growth.
  • MTZ drivers: Record backlog and demand acceleration; Grid, data-center, and electrification tailwinds.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The central risk is that revenue keeps growing without margin following: adjusted EBITDA rose ~5% on ~33% revenue growth in the June 2026 quarter, pressured by fuel and startup costs on new work. For MTZ, masTec is cyclical and project-based, so revenue and margins can swing with customer capital budgets, permitting delays, weather, and the timing of large contracts.

CTRI or MTZ: which should you pick?

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick CTRI if you believe its drivers more; MTZ if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the CTRI and MTZ guides.

CTRI vs MTZ: the full fundamentals

CTRI. The trailing P/E near 73 and forward P/E near 28 describe the same fact from two angles: today's earnings are tiny relative to revenue, and the multiple only looks ordinary if the margin plan works. Shares traded around ~$22 in early August 2026 after a ~21% single-day drop on the Q2 report, against a 52-week range of roughly $19 to $43. Full year 2026 guidance was raised to revenue of ~$3.59B to ~$3.79B with adjusted EBITDA of ~$285M to ~$310M and adjusted net income of ~$60M to ~$75M.

MTZ. MasTec is a large-cap infrastructure contractor trading at a premium multiple, with a trailing P/E in the low-to-mid 60s reflecting strong expected earnings growth. Management raised 2026 guidance after a record Q1, targeting roughly $17.5 billion in revenue and about $8.79 in adjusted EPS. The valuation prices in continued backlog conversion, so results relative to that growth path matter more than the absolute multiple.

Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): CTRI shows revenue (ttm) ~$3.4B, q2 2026 revenue ~$962M, up ~33% year over year, q2 2026 adjusted ebitda ~$76M, up ~5%, net income (ttm) ~$29M, ~0.9% net margin; MTZ shows revenue (2025 fy) ~$14.3B, revenue (ttm) ~$15B, 2026 revenue guidance ~$17.5B, adjusted diluted eps (2025) ~$6.55.

The bottom line: CTRI vs MTZ

CTRI and MTZ are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CTRI and MTZ exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Wondering how CTRI or MTZ fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in Centuri Holdings with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how CTRI fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is the difference between CTRI and MTZ?

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Centuri Holdings (NYSE: CTRI) is a utility infrastructure services company operating across the United States and Canada through four segments: U.S. MasTec (NYSE: MTZ) is a Coral Gables, Florida based engineering and construction firm that builds and maintains large-scale infrastructure across four segments: Communications (wireless and wireline/fiber), Power Delivery (utility transmission and distribution), Pipeline Infrastructure (natural gas installation and maintenance), and Clean Energy and Infrastructure (renewables engineering, construction, and heavy civil). They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.

Is CTRI or MTZ the better stock?

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Neither is universally better. MTZ is the larger incumbent; CTRI is the smaller challenger and looks pricier on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, CTRI or MTZ?

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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), CTRI trades at 22.44x and MTZ at 19.99x, so MTZ is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both CTRI and MTZ?

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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of CTRI vs MTZ?

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CTRI: The central risk is that revenue keeps growing without margin following: adjusted EBITDA rose ~5% on ~33% revenue growth in the June 2026 quarter, pressured by fuel and startup costs on new work. Net debt of ~$0.9B, about 2.6x adjusted EBITDA, and trailing free cash flow that has been slightly negative leave less room for error than a debt-light peer would have. Results are seasonal and weather-driven, with first quarters historically weak or loss-making. Customer concentration with a handful of regulated utilities means a rate case outcome or a capital plan deferral at one client can move a segment, and union labor availability and wage inflation affect the cost side. The company also carries a short public history that includes a 2024 CEO departure and an offshore wind project cancellation that drew law firm investigations, and integration risk from an acquisition-assisted growth plan. MTZ: MasTec is cyclical and project-based, so revenue and margins can swing with customer capital budgets, permitting delays, weather, and the timing of large contracts. The stock trades at a high earnings multiple (trailing P/E in the 60s), leaving little cushion if growth or margins disappoint. The company carries debt and pursues sizable acquisitions such as Superior Group, adding integration and balance-sheet risk. Fixed-price contracts expose it to cost overruns, and a handful of large customers and projects can concentrate outcomes. Shifts in energy, telecom, or renewable-subsidy policy could also alter demand across its segments.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell CTRI or MTZ; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.

    CTRI vs MTZ: How Centuri Holdings and MasTec Compare (2026) - Walnut AI Investing App