MYRG vs PRIM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated September 2026
Short answer
MYRG and PRIM are similarly sized, but PRIM trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (13.87x vs 19.66x): the market is paying up for MYRG's profile and pricing PRIM more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.
MYRG vs PRIM: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of September 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.
| Metric | MYRG | PRIM | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $4.46B | $3.92B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 19.66 | 13.87 | Valuation 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/E | 27.18 | 28.33 | Valuation 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. |
| Beta | 1.34 | 1.47 | Volatility 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 range | 35% of range | 5% of range | Where 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 / book | 5.91 | 2.42 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: PRIM 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.
Before you buy: how MYRG and PRIM 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. MYRG and PRIM 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 MYRG and PRIM 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 MYR Group (MYRG) do?
MYR Group Inc. is a holding company for specialty electrical construction firms operating through two segments: Transmission & Distribution (T&D), which builds high-voltage transmission lines, substations, and distribution networks for utilities, and Commercial & Industrial (C&I), which handles electrical work for data centers, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, and clean-energy facilities. Founded over a century ago and headquartered in the Denver area, the company employs a large skilled and union workforce and competes on execution, safety, and utility relationships rather than proprietary technology.
What does Primoris Services Corporation (PRIM) do?
Primoris Services Corporation (NYSE: PRIM) is a specialty infrastructure contractor that operates through two segments. The Utilities segment installs and maintains natural gas and electric distribution and transmission systems plus communications networks under long-term Master Service Agreements, while the Energy segment provides engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance for renewables, energy storage, gas-fired power, renewable fuels, and petrochemical customers. Full-year 2025 revenue was roughly $7.57 billion, up about 19 percent, with EPS near $5.09, reflecting strong renewables and utility demand.
MYRG vs PRIM: 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.
- MYRG drivers: Grid modernization and electrification spending; Data centers and clean-energy demand in C&I.
- PRIM drivers: Grid and utility MSA demand; Renewables and energy storage buildout.
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: As a project-based contractor, MYRG faces execution risk: fixed-price contracts, cost overruns, weather delays, and unfavorable change orders can compress margins in any given quarter, and margins are historically lumpy. For PRIM, primoris is a project-based engineering and construction firm, so results are cyclical and lumpy: fixed-price contracts carry execution, cost-overrun, and timing risk, which showed up in the Energy segment renewables weakness in Q1 2026.
MYRG or PRIM: which should you pick?
MYRG vs PRIM: the full fundamentals
MYRG. MYRG reported record Q1 2026 results with roughly $1.0 billion in revenue (up about 20% year over year), net income near $46.8 million, and diluted EPS of about $2.99. The stock trades around a low-to-mid 40s price near a market cap of roughly $6 billion, a premium multiple that reflects backlog growth and improved margins. Figures are approximate and change with each report.
PRIM. In mid-July 2026 PRIM traded near the high $80s with a market cap around $4.8 billion and a trailing P/E near 19x on FY2025 EPS of about $5.09. Q1 2026 revenue fell about 5 percent to roughly $1.6 billion on Energy segment weakness, but management raised full-year 2026 guidance to net income of about $223 million to $234 million. The dividend yield is small (under half a percent), so valuation rests mainly on backlog and earnings growth.
Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): MYRG shows market cap ~$6.1B, revenue (ttm) ~$3.8B, diluted eps (ttm) ~$9.13, q1 2026 revenue ~$1.0B; PRIM shows revenue (fy2025) ~$7.57B, revenue (q1 2026) ~$1.6B (down ~5%), eps (fy2025) ~$5.09, total backlog ~$11.6B.
The bottom line: MYRG vs PRIM
MYRG and PRIM 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 MYRG and PRIM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how MYRG or PRIM 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 MYR Group with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how MYRG 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 MYRG and PRIM?
+
MYR Group Inc. Primoris Services Corporation (NYSE: PRIM) is a specialty infrastructure contractor that operates through two segments. 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 MYRG or PRIM the better stock?
+
Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. 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, MYRG or PRIM?
+
On forward P/E (as of September 2026), MYRG trades at 19.66x and PRIM at 13.87x, so PRIM 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 MYRG and PRIM?
+
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 MYRG vs PRIM?
+
MYRG: As a project-based contractor, MYRG faces execution risk: fixed-price contracts, cost overruns, weather delays, and unfavorable change orders can compress margins in any given quarter, and margins are historically lumpy. Revenue depends on utility and commercial capital budgets, which are cyclical and sensitive to interest rates, permitting, and supply-chain conditions. Skilled-labor availability and union labor costs can constrain growth or pressure profitability. Customer concentration on large projects and reliance on timely project closeouts add variability. Finally, the shares trade at a premium earnings multiple that assumes continued backlog growth and margin strength, leaving limited room for execution disappointment. PRIM: Primoris is a project-based engineering and construction firm, so results are cyclical and lumpy: fixed-price contracts carry execution, cost-overrun, and timing risk, which showed up in the Energy segment renewables weakness in Q1 2026. Backlog can be delayed, re-timed, or cancelled, and reported figures swing quarter to quarter. The business is sensitive to interest rates, tax-credit policy for renewables, commodity and labor costs, and customer capital budgets. The PayneCrest acquisition adds integration and goodwill risk, and the modest dividend means the return case leans on execution and backlog growth rather than yield.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell MYRG or PRIM; figures are approximate and dated (as of September 2026). Verify current data before investing.