Home Compare LECO vs MLI
Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Lincoln Electric Holdings vs Mueller Industries: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Mueller Industries holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and valuation adding further support. Lincoln Electric still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The clearest score difference appears in profitability. Mueller Industries, Inc. leads by 12 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.80
Similar
Peer-set rank: #14
within Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.'s functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in capital structure and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
capital structuremargin consistency
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
LECO
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
55
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
MLI
Mueller Industries, Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: LECO vs MLI Profitability 46 76 Stability 55 51 Valuation 64 86 Growth 53 42 LECO MLI
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +30
#2 Valuation +22
#3 Growth +11
#4 Stability +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for LECO and MLI Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer LECOMLI Relative valuation Structural strength

The two profiles are relatively close, but the price setup still leans toward Mueller Industries, Inc..

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both rank well on profitability, but Mueller Industries, Inc. still holds a clear edge.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Mueller Industries, Inc. still leads clearly.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
LECO
46
MLI
76
Gap+30in favour of MLI

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 19.5-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver of the lead, with valuation adding further support — though growth still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the LECO vs MLI comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-valuation comparisons

Explore how LECO and MLI 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.

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.