STN vs TTEK: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
STN and TTEK are similarly sized, but STN trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (15.00x vs 19.18x): the market is paying up for TTEK's profile and pricing STN 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.
STN vs TTEK: 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.
| Metric | STN | TTEK | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $8.39B | $8.49B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 15.00 | 19.18 | 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 | 23.94 | 19.98 | 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 | 0.72 | 0.92 | 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 | 15% of range | 42% 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 | 3.51 | 4.62 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: STN 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 STN and TTEK 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. STN and TTEK 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 STN and TTEK 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 Stantec (STN) do?
Stantec sells professional services, not products. Roughly 32,000 engineers, architects, scientists and planners bill time on projects across five business lines: Water, Environmental Services, Infrastructure, Buildings, and Energy & Resources, reported in three geographic segments (United States, Canada and Global). The work is unglamorous and specific: designing water and wastewater treatment upgrades, transit and highway projects, hospitals, semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing plants, permitting and remediation studies. Clients skew public sector, so revenue follows municipal, state, provincial and national capital programs. Recent examples show the shape of it: Stantec was named a preferred bidder as a primary designer on the multibillion-pound Scottish Water investment program, and in May 2026 joined a joint venture to deliver Greater Western Water's infrastructure program in Australia.
What does Tetra Tech (TTEK) do?
Tetra Tech provides consulting, engineering, program management, and construction management services focused on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure, operating through its Government Services Group (GSG) and Commercial/International Services Group (CIG). Its clients span US federal, state, and local agencies plus commercial and international customers, and its expertise in water resources, environmental remediation, and data analytics has made it one of the leading pure-play firms in the space alongside AECOM, WSP, Jacobs, Stantec, and Arcadis.
STN vs TTEK: 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.
- STN drivers: Water and wastewater capital cycles; Record backlog converting to billable hours.
- TTEK drivers: Water and environmental infrastructure demand; Backlog and margin expansion.
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: Public budgets are the demand curve here, so a funding freeze, an election-driven pause or a slower federal appropriations cycle in the United States shows up as delayed starts and lower utilization. For TTEK, the biggest risk is dependence on government spending, shown vividly when a USAID and State Department funding pause cut roughly $200 million in one quarter and hundreds of millions in annualized revenue.
STN or TTEK: which should you pick?
STN vs TTEK: the full fundamentals
STN. Stantec reports in Canadian dollars while trading in US dollars on the NYSE, so screener figures often mix currencies and should be checked against the company's own releases. The 2026 guide of ~8.5% to ~11.5% net revenue growth with ~17.6% to ~18.2% adjusted EBITDA margin was reaffirmed alongside Q1 results in May 2026. A ~23x trailing multiple against a 52-week range of roughly $66 to $114 shows most of the past year's move came from the multiple, not from the earnings line.
TTEK. TTEK trades at a forward P/E in the low-20s, a premium that reflects its specialized positioning and steady margin gains but is roughly in line with the broader commercial-services group. Several valuation models flag the stock as trading below estimated fair value, though such estimates depend heavily on growth assumptions. The company raised fiscal 2026 guidance after beating second-quarter estimates.
Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): STN shows net revenue (fy2025) ~C$6.5 billion, up ~10.7%, adjusted ebitda (fy2025) ~C$1.14 billion, ~17.6% margin, q1 2026 adjusted eps ~C$1.33, up ~14.7%, contract backlog ~C$9.0 billion, up ~13.2% y/y; TTEK shows revenue (fy2025) ~$4.6B, net revenue guidance (fy2026) ~$4.25B to $4.4B, adjusted eps guidance (fy2026) ~$1.50 to $1.58, backlog (q2 fy2026) ~$4.28B.
The bottom line: STN vs TTEK
STN and TTEK 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 STN and TTEK exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how STN or TTEK 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 Stantec with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how STN 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 STN and TTEK?
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Stantec sells professional services, not products. Tetra Tech provides consulting, engineering, program management, and construction management services focused on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure, operating through its Government Services Group (GSG) and Commercial/International Services Group (CIG). 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 STN or TTEK the better stock?
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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, STN or TTEK?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), STN trades at 15.00x and TTEK at 19.18x, so STN 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 STN and TTEK?
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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 STN vs TTEK?
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STN: Public budgets are the demand curve here, so a funding freeze, an election-driven pause or a slower federal appropriations cycle in the United States shows up as delayed starts and lower utilization. The acquisition strategy carries real hazards: integration misses, retention of acquired principals, and a balance sheet weighted toward goodwill and intangibles from deals like Page. Reported results are in Canadian dollars while the United States is the largest segment, so the CAD/USD rate moves both revenue and the NYSE-quoted price. Labor is the cost base and the constraint at once, meaning wage inflation compresses margins unless it passes into billing rates. Finally, the stock's move from roughly $114 to the high $60s over the past year is a reminder that a services company trading near ~23 times trailing earnings can derate on sentiment about infrastructure spending well before any operating number changes. TTEK: The biggest risk is dependence on government spending, shown vividly when a USAID and State Department funding pause cut roughly $200 million in one quarter and hundreds of millions in annualized revenue. Federal budget shifts, contract delays, and political changes can quickly alter demand for parts of the business. As a services firm, Tetra Tech is also exposed to labor availability, wage inflation, and its ability to keep skilled engineers billable. Large competitors such as AECOM, WSP, and Jacobs pressure pricing on major programs. Finally, the shares trade at a premium multiple that leaves limited room for execution missteps.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell STN or TTEK; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.