Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ:STRL) Hits New 1-Year High Following Earnings Beat

Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $477.03 and last traded at $444.7110, with a volume of 154909 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $455.25.

The construction company reported $3.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $755.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $639.41 million. Sterling Infrastructure had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 34.26%. Sterling Infrastructure has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.450-14.050 EPS.

Sterling Infrastructure declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, November 12th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to buy up to 3.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

More Sterling Infrastructure News

Here are the key news stories impacting Sterling Infrastructure this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q4 results and bullish FY2026 guidance — STRL beat Q4 earnings and revenue expectations; management guided FY2026 adjusted EPS to $13.45–$14.05 and revenue to ~$3.05–3.20B, well above consensus, supporting higher forward profit expectations. Sterling Q4 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog surge provides multi-year revenue visibility — Signed backlog jumped 78% y/y to $3.01B (49% organic excluding CEC acquisition), underpinning the company’s growth runway, especially in E‑Infrastructure (data center) work. Will Sterling’s 78% Backlog Surge Remain Sustainable Through 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — DA Davidson raised its price target from $460 to $500 and set a Buy rating, signaling ~16.7% upside vs. the recent price and adding buy-side momentum. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Research notes and sell‑side estimates updated — Sidoti and other analysts have refreshed multi-quarter EPS forecasts, reflecting the new guidance but leaving model dispersion; useful for valuation modeling but not immediate catalysts. MarketBeat / analyst notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting AI/data‑center exposure — STRL appears in lists of construction beneficiaries from the AI data center buildout, reinforcing thematic investor interest but also raising competition/volume questions. Buy 5 Construction Stocks Set to Soar on AI-Powered Data Center Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns after the rally — Commentary warns the recent euphoric rally may have stretched multiples, raising downside risk if growth or margin beats slow. Sterling Infrastructure: Growing Backlog At Richer Margins – Euphoric Rally Triggers Valuation Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Short-seller / third‑party research scrutiny — New research and short-seller claims are circulating, which can increase volatility and prompt some investors to trim positions despite strong fundamentals. How New Research And Short Seller Claims Are Reframing The Story For Sterling Infrastructure (STRL)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on STRL. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Sterling Infrastructure in a report on Friday, January 23rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $413.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Sterling Infrastructure from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Zacks Research cut Sterling Infrastructure from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $486.00 target price on Sterling Infrastructure and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on Sterling Infrastructure from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $466.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Dana C. O’brien sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total value of $820,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,498 shares in the company, valued at $4,714,180. This trade represents a 14.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Dwayne Andree Wilson sold 2,860 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total transaction of $1,001,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 14,749 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,162,150. This trade represents a 16.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,860 shares of company stock worth $2,611,000 over the last ninety days. 3.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sterling Infrastructure

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STRL. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Sterling Infrastructure by 62.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,131,751 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $261,129,000 after buying an additional 433,311 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Sterling Infrastructure by 29.8% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 955,387 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $324,526,000 after acquiring an additional 219,477 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Sterling Infrastructure by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 739,302 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $170,600,000 after acquiring an additional 3,469 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Sterling Infrastructure by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 689,942 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $211,281,000 after purchasing an additional 83,706 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sterling Infrastructure by 84.6% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 654,096 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $222,184,000 after purchasing an additional 299,724 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.95% of the company’s stock.

Sterling Infrastructure Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $13.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.51. The business’s 50-day moving average is $365.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $343.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

About Sterling Infrastructure

Sterling Infrastructure, Inc (NASDAQ: STRL) is a diversified manufacturer and distributor of essential infrastructure products serving municipal, utility and industrial customers across North America. Through its network of wholly owned subsidiaries, the company designs, engineers and produces a wide range of cast and fabricated solutions tailored to the needs of the waterworks, natural gas, telecommunications, electric, traffic safety and parks & recreation markets.

The company’s product portfolio encompasses ductile iron and composite fittings, valve boxes, manhole frames and covers, water and gas meter sets, street light poles and mounting accessories, traffic sign posts with breakaway systems, bollards and related system components.