Will Margin Gains in Infrastructure Continue for Sterling in 2025?

Core Insights - Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. is strategically focusing on high-value infrastructure projects, which is enhancing its margin profile and earnings quality [1] - The company reported a gross margin of 22% in Q1 2025, an increase of 400 basis points from the previous year [1][9] - The E-Infrastructure segment's adjusted operating margins expanded nearly 618 basis points year over year to 23.2%, driven by a focus on mission-critical projects like data centers [1][9] Company Strategy - Sterling's disciplined project selection strategy prioritizes large, complex builds, allowing it to avoid lower-margin work [2] - The shift towards aviation and rail projects in Transportation Solutions, along with reduced exposure to low-bid heavy highway work, has contributed to margin expansion [2] Future Outlook - The company expects full-year infrastructure growth supported by a multi-year backlog visibility, with the E-Infrastructure segment holding a backlog of $1.2 billion [3] - The total pipeline is nearing $2 billion when including future phase work, weighted towards higher-margin projects, indicating potential for sustained profitability [3] Industry Context - Competitors like Quanta Services, Inc. and EMCOR Group, Inc. are also focusing on high-return sectors such as data centers and transportation [5] - Quanta Services reported a 12-month backlog of $16.37 billion as of March 31, 2025, reflecting growing demand for electric grid upgrades and AI-driven infrastructure needs [6] - EMCOR Group's U.S. Electrical Construction and Facilities Services segment reported an operating margin of 12.5%, while the U.S. Mechanical Construction and Facilities Services segment posted an operating margin of 11.9% [7] Performance Metrics - Sterling's stock has gained 107.9% in the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry's growth of 48% [8] - The company is currently trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.14X, compared to the industry's average of 21.56X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sterling's EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 41.2% and 10.1% for 2025 and 2026, respectively [13]