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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Industrial Machinery

Crane Company vs Pentair: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Pentair leads structurally, with valuation as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Crane Company still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead runs through valuation, while stability still acts as a real counterweight on the other side.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Industrial Machinery

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CR and PNR share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Crane Company and Pentair each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CR
Crane Company
50
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
PNR
Pentair plc
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: CR vs PNR Profitability 43 45 Stability 54 30 Valuation 56 88 Growth 47 50 CR PNR
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +32
#2 Stability +24
#3 Growth +3
#4 Profitability +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CR and PNR Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CRPNR Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Crane Company.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CR and PNR each sit in their own 3.2-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 3.2-YEAR HISTORY CR Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 22 pct gap PNR Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 76th 53rd
Today PNR sits in the upper-middle of its own 5-year history (53rd percentile), while CR sits higher in its own history (76th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, PNR is at a historically more favourable entry position than CR. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both rank well on valuation, but Pentair plc still holds a clear edge.
Stability
Crane Company sits in the stronger part of the group on stability, while Pentair plc is closer to mid-pack.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
CR
56
PNR
88
Gap+32in favour of PNR

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 11.4 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Stability still tilts materially toward Crane Company, which stops the result from looking dominant across the whole profile.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on valuation is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CR vs PNR comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CR and PNR each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.