COMPARE · Data as of August 27, 2026
LECO vs MWA
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. LECO scored 61.0, MWA scored 72.1 — MWA leads.
Compare another set
LECO
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
61
$289.73 · $15.8B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
11.1
MWA leads
MWA
Mueller Water Products, Inc.
72.1
$24.72 · $3.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestMWA17.4x
- Fastest growthLECO+9.3%
- Strongest balance sheetMWA0.40
- Highest qualityLECO82 / 100
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)
LECO
stronger →← stronger
MWA
82
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
75
79
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
65
35
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
77
LECO is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
LECO
MWA
$542mC+
FCF
$180mC
+9.3%B
Rev
+5.9%C+
0.77B
D/E
0.40B+
28.9xB
P/E
17.4xA-
1.76C+
PEG
1.01B+
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
LECO
MWA
91% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
50% above
~25%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~13%/yr
-53%
1-yr DCF upside
-33%
-48%
5-yr DCF upside
-34%
-39%
10-yr DCF upside
-35%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
LECO
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
MWA
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
LECOLincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
Why now
Tools & Accessories · market cap $15.8b. 7% off the 52-week high of $310.00. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $304.91 (implying +5% upside).
Moat
Net margin 12% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 36% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 98% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
MWAMueller Water Products, Inc.
Why now
Specialty Industrial Machinery · market cap $3.9b. Down 20% from 52-week high of $31.00 — deep drawdown territory. 6 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $31.00 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
Net margin 15% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 20% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
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 LECO and MWA diverge
On the headline score the gap is 11.1 points in favor of MWA. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueLECO 35.3 · MWA 76.9MWA +41.6
- GrowthLECO 78.7 · MWA 65.0LECO +13.7
- QualityLECO 81.8 · MWA 75.0LECO +6.8
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a 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.