AGX vs. ESE

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

AGX (Argan, Inc.) and ESE (ESCO Technologies Inc.) are both stocks. AGX operates in Engineering & Construction (Industrials), while ESE operates in Scientific & Technical Instruments (Technology). Over the past 10 years, AGX returned 34.05%/yr vs 22.38%/yr for ESE. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

AGX vs. ESE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Argan, Inc. (AGX) and ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AGX achieves a 98.28% return, which is significantly higher than ESE's 51.28% return. Over the past 10 years, AGX has outperformed ESE with an annualized return of 34.05%, while ESE has yielded a comparatively lower 22.38% annualized return.

AGX

• 1D: -10.76%
• 1M: -8.86%
• YTD: 98.28%
• 6M: 94.57%
• 1Y: 156.50%
• 3Y*: 156.79%
• 5Y*: 69.15%
• 10Y*: 34.05%

ESE

• 1D: 0.94%
• 1M: -2.55%
• YTD: 51.28%
• 6M: 49.13%
• 1Y: 60.70%
• 3Y*: 45.43%
• 5Y*: 26.97%
• 10Y*: 22.38%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AGX vs. ESE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AGX Argan, Inc.	98.28%	130.61%	198.31%	30.24%	-2.01%	-11.64%	19.15%	8.62%	-14.32%	-34.26%
ESE ESCO Technologies Inc.	51.28%	46.96%	14.15%	34.13%	-2.30%	-12.59%	12.01%	41.00%	10.04%	6.79%

Correlation

The correlation between AGX and ESE is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.39
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.39
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.42
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 21, 1995	0.23

The correlation between AGX and ESE shifts across timeframes, from 0.23 (all time) to 0.42 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap AGX : $8.80B ESE : $7.65B
EPS AGX : $11.38 ESE : $11.89
PE Ratio AGX : 54.46 ESE : 24.84
PEG Ratio AGX : 0.99 ESE : 0.41
PS Ratio AGX : 8.43 ESE : 6.13
PB Ratio AGX : 18.59 ESE : 4.77
Total Revenue (TTM) AGX : $1.04B ESE : $1.25B
Gross Profit (TTM) AGX : $217.93M ESE : $271.43M
EBITDA (TTM) AGX : $163.99M ESE : $238.72M

Return for Risk

AGX vs. ESE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AGX

AGX Risk / Return Rank: 91
AGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
AGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
AGX Omega Ratio Rank: 86
AGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
AGX Martin Ratio Rank: 95

ESE

ESE Risk / Return Rank: 87
ESE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
ESE Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
ESE Omega Ratio Rank: 84
ESE Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
ESE Martin Ratio Rank: 89

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AGX vs. ESE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Argan, Inc. (AGX) and ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AGX	ESE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.10	1.99	+0.12
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.86	2.63	+0.23
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.33	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.31	4.01	+2.30
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	18.30	10.69	+7.61
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AGX vs. ESE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AGX Sharpe Ratio is 2.10, which is comparable to the ESE Sharpe Ratio of 1.99. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AGX and ESE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AGX	ESE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.10	1.99	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.37	0.89	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	0.74	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.05	0.42	-0.36

Drawdowns

AGX vs. ESE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AGX drawdown since its inception was -94.37%, which is greater than ESE's maximum drawdown of -58.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AGX and ESE.

Drawdown Indicators

	AGX	ESE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-94.37%	-58.54%	-35.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.96%	-15.22%	-9.74%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-43.75%	-17.52%	-26.23%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.75%	-36.88%	-6.87%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.61%	-45.97%	-8.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-16.32%	-12.95%	-3.37%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-48.35%	-20.25%	-28.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.50%	5.70%	+3.80%

Volatility

AGX vs. ESE - Volatility Comparison

Argan, Inc. (AGX) has a higher volatility of 17.80% compared to ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) at 11.76%. This indicates that AGX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ESE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AGX	ESE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	17.80%	11.76%	+6.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	55.76%	25.28%	+30.48%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	75.04%	30.78%	+44.26%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	50.86%	30.37%	+20.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	45.84%	30.51%	+15.33%

Dividends

AGX vs. ESE - Dividend Comparison

AGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.30%, more than ESE's 0.11% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AGX Argan, Inc.	0.30%	0.52%	0.93%	2.24%	2.71%	1.94%	7.31%	2.49%	1.98%	4.44%	1.42%	2.16%
ESE ESCO Technologies Inc.	0.11%	0.16%	0.24%	0.27%	0.37%	0.27%	0.31%	0.43%	0.49%	0.40%	0.56%	0.89%

Financials

AGX vs. ESE - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Argan, Inc. and ESCO Technologies Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

AGX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Argan, Inc. reported a gross profit of 61.11M and revenue of 290.95M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 21.0%.

ESE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ESCO Technologies Inc. reported a gross profit of -119.92M and revenue of 309.34M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was -38.8%.

AGX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Argan, Inc. reported an operating income of 45.40M and revenue of 290.95M, resulting in an operating margin of 15.6%.

ESE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ESCO Technologies Inc. reported an operating income of 23.86M and revenue of 309.34M, resulting in an operating margin of 7.7%.

AGX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Argan, Inc. reported a net income of 46.06M and revenue of 290.95M, resulting in a net margin of 15.8%.

ESE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ESCO Technologies Inc. reported a net income of 34.73M and revenue of 309.34M, resulting in a net margin of 11.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AGX and ESE in my portfolio?

AGX and ESE have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AGX or ESE?

AGX has higher volatility (17.80%) compared to ESE (11.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AGX dropped -94.37% vs ESE's -58.54%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AGX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.10 vs 1.99), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.