Reviewing Xylem (NYSE:XYL) and SPX Technologies (NYSE:SPXC)

SPX Technologies (NYSE:SPXC) and Xylem (NYSE:XYL) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, earnings and institutional ownership.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares SPX Technologies and Xylem”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
SPX Technologies	$2.48 billion	3.41	$244.00 million	$5.56	30.36
Xylem	$9.04 billion	2.63	$957.00 million	$4.20	24.26

Xylem has higher revenue and earnings than SPX Technologies. Xylem is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than SPX Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for SPX Technologies and Xylem, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
SPX Technologies	0	2	10	1	2.92
Xylem	0	7	9	0	2.56

SPX Technologies currently has a consensus price target of $252.18, indicating a potential upside of 49.40%. Xylem has a consensus price target of $153.00, indicating a potential upside of 50.17%. Given Xylem’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Xylem is more favorable than SPX Technologies.

Profitability

This table compares SPX Technologies and Xylem’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
SPX Technologies	11.27%	16.53%	10.03%
Xylem	11.15%	11.77%	7.50%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

92.8% of SPX Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.0% of Xylem shares are held by institutional investors. 2.9% of SPX Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Xylem shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

SPX Technologies has a beta of 1.24, meaning that its share price is 24% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Xylem has a beta of 1, meaning that its share price has a similar volatility profile to the S&P 500.

Summary

SPX Technologies beats Xylem on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About SPX Technologies

SPX Technologies, Inc. supplies infrastructure equipment serving the heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC); and detection and measurement markets worldwide. The company operates in two segments, HVAC and Detection and Measurement. The HVAC segment engineers, designs, manufactures, installs, and services package and process cooling products and engineered air movement solutions for the HVAC industrial and power generation markets, as well as boilers, heating, and ventilation products for the residential and commercial markets. It offers its products under the Marley, Recold, SGS, Cincinnati Fan, TAMCO, Ingénia, Berko, Qmark, Fahrenheat, Leading Edge, Patterson-Kelley, Weil-McLain, Williamson-Thermoflo, INDEECO, Heatrex, AccuTherm, Brasch, Spectrum, BannerDay PipeHeating, and Solar Products brands. The Detection and Measurement segment offers underground pipe and cable locators, inspection and rehabilitation equipment, and robotic systems under the Radiodetection, Pearpoint, Schonstedt, Dielectric, Riser Bond, Cues, ULC Robotics, and Sensors & Software brands; transportation systems under the Genfare brand; communication technologies products under the TCI and ECS brands; and obstruction lighting products under the Flash Technology, ITL, Sabik Marine, Sealite, and Avlite brands. The company markets its products through independent manufacturing representatives, third-party distributors, and retailers, as well as direct to customers. The company was formerly known as SPX Corporation and changed its name to SPX Technologies, Inc. in August 2022. SPX Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

About Xylem

Xylem Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and servicing of engineered products and solutions worldwide. It operates through four segments: Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, Measurement & Control Solutions, and Integrated Solutions and Services. The Water Infrastructure segment offers products, including water, storm water, and wastewater pumps; controls and systems; filtration, disinfection, and biological treatment equipment; and mobile dewatering equipment and rental services under the ADI, Flygt, Godwin, Sanitaire, Magneto, Neptune Benson, Ionpure, Leopold, Wedeco, and Xylem Vue brands. The Applied Water segment provides pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls, and dispensing equipment systems under the Goulds Water Technology, Bell & Gossett, A-C Fire Pump, Standard Xchange, Lowara, Jabsco, Xylem Vue, and Flojet brands. The Measurement & Control Solutions segment offers smart meters, networked communication devices, data analytics, test equipment, controls, sensor devices, software and managed services, and critical infrastructure services; and software and services, including cloud-based analytics, remote monitoring and data management, leak detection, condition assessment, asset management, and pressure monitoring solutions, as well as testing equipment. This segment sells its products under the Pure Technologies, Sensus, Smith Blair, WTW, Xylem Vue, and YSI brands. The Integrated Solutions and Services segment provides maintenance services, mobile services, digital outsourced solutions, wastewater systems, environmental remediation, odor and corrosion control, filtration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and deionization under Aquapro, WaterOne, and Ion Pure brands. Xylem Inc. was formerly known as ITT WCO, Inc. and changed its name to Xylem Inc. in May 2011. Xylem Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.