At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestVNT13.3x
Fastest growthESE+27.0%
Strongest balance sheetESE0.09
Highest qualityVNT76 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueVNT-14%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ESE
stronger →← stronger
VNT
68
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
76
85
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
39
67
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
43
ESE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ESE
VNT
$207mC
FCF
$385mC
+27.0%A-
Rev
+0.9%C
0.09B+
D/E
1.61C
47.8xC+
P/E
13.3xA-
1.67C+
PEG
0.79A-
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ESE
VNT
95% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
14% below
~25%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~-1%/yr
-53%
1-yr DCF upside
+18%
-49%
5-yr DCF upside
+16%
-42%
10-yr DCF upside
+14%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Scientific & Technical Instruments · market cap $6.7b. Down 29% from 52-week high of $362.15 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +27% — in hypergrowth territory. 4 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $390.75 (implying +52% upside).
Moat
Net margin 24% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 19% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Trailing P/E 48x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
Scientific & Technical Instruments · market cap $4.4b. Down 33% from 52-week high of $48.20 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.79 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 10 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $40.85 (implying +27% upside).
Moat
ROE 29% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 111% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
Down 33% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where ESE and VNT diverge
On the headline score the gap is 22.8 points in favor of ESE. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
GrowthESE 85.4 · VNT 38.6ESE +46.8
ValueESE 67.1 · VNT 42.6ESE +24.5
QualityESE 67.5 · VNT 76.4VNT +8.9
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is ESE or VNT the better stock?
ESE scores higher: ESE 72.9, VNT 50.1 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do ESE and VNT differ most?
The widest gap is growth, where ESE leads by 47 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are ESE and VNT scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.