Comparing Concrete Pumping (NASDAQ:BBCP) & Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor (NYSE:ZWS)

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor (NYSE:ZWS) and Concrete Pumping (NASDAQ:BBCP) are both business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor and Concrete Pumping”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor	$1.66 billion	4.70	$160.20 million	$1.12	41.61
Concrete Pumping	$425.87 million	0.73	$16.21 million	$0.16	37.81

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor has higher revenue and earnings than Concrete Pumping. Concrete Pumping is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

83.3% of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 34.2% of Concrete Pumping shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.6% of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 26.6% of Concrete Pumping shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor and Concrete Pumping, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor	0	3	3	1	2.71
Concrete Pumping	0	3	1	0	2.25

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor presently has a consensus price target of $42.83, suggesting a potential downside of 8.08%. Concrete Pumping has a consensus price target of $7.50, suggesting a potential upside of 23.97%. Given Concrete Pumping’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Concrete Pumping is more favorable than Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor.

Volatility and Risk

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor has a beta of 1.12, meaning that its share price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Concrete Pumping has a beta of 1.1, meaning that its share price is 10% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor and Concrete Pumping’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor	11.59%	16.26%	9.66%
Concrete Pumping	2.65%	4.19%	1.30%

Summary

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor beats Concrete Pumping on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation engages in design, procurement, manufacture, and marketing of water management solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers water safety and control products, such as backflow preventers, fire system valves, pressure reducing valves, thermostatic mixing valves, PEX pipings, fittings, and installation tools under the Zurn and Wilkins brand names. The company also provides flow systems products comprising point drains, hydrants, fixture carrier systems, chemical drainage systems; and interceptors and separators, acid neutralization systems, and remote monitoring systems under the Zurn and Green Turtle brands. In addition, it develops, manufactures, and markets remote tank monitoring devices, alarms, software, and services. Further, the company offers sensor-operated flush valves under the AquaSense, Aquaflush, and AquaVantage brands; heavy-duty commercial faucets under the AquaSpec brand; water conserving fixtures under the EcoVantage and Zurn One brands; stainless steel products under the Just Manufacturing brand name, which include stainless steel sinks and plumbing fixtures, and various types of sinks, as well as drinking water dispensing and filtration products under the Elkay and Halsey Taylor brands. It distributes to institutional, commercial, waterworks, and residential end markets through independent sales representatives, plumbing wholesalers, and industry-specific distributors in the waterworks, foodservice, industrial, janitorial, sanitation, and sitework industries. The company was formerly known as Zurn Water Solutions Corporation and changed its name to Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation in July 2022. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation was incorporated in 1892 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

About Concrete Pumping

Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. provides concrete pumping and waste management services in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company offers concrete pumping services to general contractors and concrete finishing companies in the commercial, infrastructure, and residential sectors under the Brundage-Bone and Capital Pumping brands; and industrial cleanup and containment services primarily to customers in the construction industry under the Eco-Pan brand. It leases and rents concrete pumping equipment, pans, and containers. As of October 31, 2023, the company owned a fleet of approximately 930 boom pumps, 90 placing booms, 20 telebelts, 300 stationary pumps, and 115 waste management trucks. Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Thornton, Colorado.