Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusBuy9 ratings
Bullish888.9%
Neutral111.1%
Bearish00.0%
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. · STRL · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026
STRL: Data-center growth lifts Q2, but mix and capacity remain risks
Sterling Infrastructure's Q2 analysis supports a constructive growth case: mission-critical data-center, semiconductor and EV projects are expanding backlog and shifting mix toward E-Infrastructure. The countercase is that rapid CEC growth may dilute margins, while labor, equipment and regulatory constraints could limit execution.
Reported After market closeNASDAQIndustrials
$10.58B market cap
100quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$5.80
Consensus $5.01
EPS surprise
+15.8%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$1.17B
Consensus $969.2M
Revenue surprise
+20.5%
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
event-close to next-session close
Stock move
-11.4%
Event window
SPY move
+1.8%
Same window
Abnormal move
-13.2%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
2.6×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
-15.8%
Up to 20 sessions
STRLSPY benchmark
Ask FN2 about STRL FY2026 Q2
Transcript, numbers and history already loaded
Why did STRL fall 11.4% after beating EPS estimates in FY2026 Q2?What changed in STRL's guidance and outlook in FY2026 Q2?Give me the bull and bear case for STRL after FY2026 Q2 earnings.
Free account. Your question opens in FN2 with this report's transcript and numbers attached.
Transcript intelligence
What changed
Compared with the prior quarter, management described another sharp acceleration: backlog more than doubled year over year, adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 22%, and FY2026 guidance was raised again. Capex guidance increased to $130–140 million as the company funds fleet, equipment and capacity expansion.
Guidance delta
Guidance sentiment remained raised. Management increased FY2026 revenue, EPS and EBITDA expectations and lifted capex guidance to $130–140 million.
Key takeaways
- E-Infrastructure demand from data centers, semiconductor campuses and EV plants is driving growth and a strategic shift away from lower-margin transportation work.
- CEC integration is progressing quickly, but its growth and mix are temporarily pressuring overall margins.
- Backlog visibility is strong, while hiring, training, prefabrication and fleet investment are central to converting demand into revenue.
Management priorities
- Invest $130–140 million in fleet and equipment upgrades.
- Accelerate recruiting and training through Sterling Academy and CEC University.
- Expand prefabrication and pursue tuck-in acquisitions, especially in Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
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Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$345.91Current
$185Low
$595.91Average
$950High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 31, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DA Davidson | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Keybanc | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Stifel | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 8, 2026 |
| Canaccord Genuity | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 3, 2017 |
| BWS Financial | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | May 3, 2016 |
| Maxim Group | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 28, 2015 |
| Sidoti & Co. | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 19, 2013 |
| BB&T Capital | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jan 7, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $345.91. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argus Research | John Eade | $500 | $373.66 | +44.5% | Oct 30, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $755 | $453.07 | +118.3% | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Brian Brophy | $742 | $534.13 | +114.5% | Oct 8, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $700 | $520.53 | +102.4% | Aug 20, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Manish Somaiya | $742 | $543.78 | +114.5% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $754 | $541.62 | +118.0% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $922 | $845.39 | +166.5% | Jun 2, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Brent Thielman | $950 | $782.12 | +174.6% | May 28, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $889 | $806 | +157.0% | May 6, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Sangita Jain | $572 | $487.87 | +65.4% | Apr 23, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $510 | $456.08 | +47.4% | Apr 16, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Analyst unavailable | $486 | $433.91 | +40.5% | Feb 11, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $413 | $364.25 | +19.4% | Jan 23, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $460 | $404 | +33.0% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| D.A. Davidson | Brent Thielman | $185 | $122.16 | -46.5% | Feb 27, 2025 |
Track every rating change on STRL the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationSterling Infrastructure, Inc. operates across three distinct business segments: transportation, e-infrastructure, and building solutions. The company's operations span a significant portion of the United States, including the Southern, Northeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as the Rocky Mountain states, California, and Hawaii. Within its transportation division, Sterling specializes in developing and rehabilitating critical infrastructure. This includes projects such as highways, roads, bridges, airports, ports, and light rail systems, alongside essential water, wastewater, and storm drainage solutions. Their clients in this sector range from state departments of transportation and regional transit authorities to airport, port, and water authorities, as well as railway companies.…
Historical context
All STRL earningsIndustrials peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GD General Dynamics Corporation | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +9.0% | +0.5% | General Dynamics raises outlook as orders and backlog surge |
| RBC RBC Bearings Incorporated | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +5.9% | -6.8% | RBC Bearings: Strong Q2, capacity investment supports second half |
| CNI Canadian National Railway Company | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +3.4% | -0.3% | CN posts strong Q3, maintains EPS outlook and expands Mexico strategy |
| NVT nVent Electric plc | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +8.6% | -8.8% | nVent raises outlook as data-center demand and Maverick broaden growth |
| MTZ MasTec, Inc. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +0.3% | +0.8% | MasTec posts record Q3 as power and data-center demand accelerates |
| IR Ingersoll Rand Inc. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +18.5% | +0.2% | Ingersoll Rand raises FY2026 outlook as orders accelerate |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- EXCFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+10.4% EPS+0.5% move
- ABBVFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+2.4% EPS+1.4% move
- GDFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+9.0% EPS+0.5% move
- MGAFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+15.8% EPS-1.4% move
- XOMFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+2.7% EPS+2.2% move
- IMOFY2026 Q3 · October 30, 2026+6.4% EPS+5.5% move
Get the STRL recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-08-05T16:15:44.013295+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-09-08T01:23:13.784197+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-31T06:00:47.292582+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-31T06:00:47.289786+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-31. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.