GVA vs STRL: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

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.

Reading it: GVA is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

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. GVA and STRL 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 GVA and STRL 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.

Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE: GVA) is one of the largest civil-infrastructure contractors in the United States, building and rehabilitating roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, rail, water and power projects. It runs two segments: a Construction segment that bids and executes public and private projects, and a Materials segment that mines and sells aggregates and asphalt, giving the company a vertically integrated supply chain. Roughly 70% of construction revenue is funded by federal, state and local agencies, so the business is closely tied to public infrastructure budgets and programs like the federal transportation bill.

Full GVA guide

Sterling Infrastructure is a specialty infrastructure construction company organized around three segments. E-Infrastructure Solutions provides site development for data centers, distribution centers, e-commerce fulfillment facilities, and other large industrial sites. Transportation Solutions provides heavy civil construction for highways, bridges, ports, and aviation. Building Solutions provides concrete services for residential and commercial construction.

Full STRL guide

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

• GVA drivers: Record backlog and public funding; Margin expansion and disciplined bidding.
• STRL drivers: Data center site development; Reshoring industrial site development.

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: Granite is cyclical and heavily dependent on government infrastructure budgets, so funding delays or program changes can slow awards. For STRL, customer concentration in hyperscaler data center work.

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 GVA if you believe its drivers more; STRL 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 GVA and STRL guides.

GVA. The shares have re-rated sharply, trading near a 52-week high around $150 to $155 after a strong run from the high-$80s. The trailing GAAP P/E in the mid-40s looks rich, though it is distorted by seasonally weak GAAP quarters; adjusted EBITDA growth and record backlog are what the market is paying for. The small dividend yield signals this is a growth-and-cyclical-recovery story rather than an income holding.

STRL. Sterling trades at a premium to traditional construction reflecting the data center and reshoring exposure. The multiple has expanded with the AI infrastructure thesis. Smaller market cap creates higher volatility than larger infrastructure peers.

Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): GVA shows revenue (ttm) ~$4.5B, 2026 revenue guidance ~$5.2-5.4B, market cap ~$6.6B, trailing p/e (gaap) ~44x; STRL shows revenue (ttm) ~$2.5 billion, operating margin ~12% (improving with mix), net income (ttm) ~$250 million, eps (ttm) ~$8.00.

GVA and STRL 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 GVA and STRL exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.