Skip to main content
TPCTutor Perini CorporationSell5.0·$76.75-3.47%
TPC · Why this verdict

Why Tutor Perini (TPC) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Show full disclosure ▾

About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.

No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security. Our sole compensation is subscription revenue.

No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.

Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score5.0/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Approximately 75% of Tutor Perini's revenues come from government customers, meaning the business is highly dependent on public infrastructure spending budgets, appropriations continuity, and contract awards that can be delayed, cancelled, or reduced without notice.

Stable
Bear case
Expectation
Government-sourced revenue share declines toward 65% within 12 months as private sector projects expand, reducing single-source dependence.

CounterGovernment contract concentration provides revenue predictability and access to large-scale infrastructure projects; the ongoing U.S. infrastructure investment cycle may actually increase the value of this government-facing positioning.

A PEG ratio of 0.04 and analyst price targets implying 48% upside suggest Tutor Perini may be significantly mispriced relative to its earnings growth, with the market discounting the government revenue concentration risk more than analysts believe is warranted.

Stable
Valuation breakdown
Expectation
Price rises above $90, more than 17% above the current $76.55, within 12 months as contract backlog converts to revenue.

CounterExtremely low PEG ratios in construction companies often reflect lumpy, project-based revenues where forward earnings estimates can be highly inaccurate; the -41% miss in Q4 2025 illustrates how quickly estimates can prove wrong.

Free cash flow conversion of 852% of net income is exceptionally high, indicating that cash generation substantially exceeds reported earnings — a pattern typical in construction companies where project cash is received before profit is recognized.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Free cash flow conversion remains above 200% of net income over the next 2 annual cycles.

CounterExtremely high cash conversion multiples in construction can reflect changes in advance billings and working capital timing that reverse in subsequent periods; treating this as a durable quality metric overstates its reliability.

Despite beating in three of the last four quarters overall, the single miss was -41.3%, highlighting that project-based earnings in construction are inherently lumpy and individual quarter results can deviate dramatically from estimates.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
EPS surprise remains above -15% in each of the next 4 quarters, indicating better earnings visibility as project mix normalizes.

CounterA 3-for-4 beat streak including a major beat of 28.6% in Q3 2025 shows that strong quarters can significantly offset weak ones; the net-positive average beat of 1.9% may reflect an acceptable level of volatility for this sector.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Tutor Perini has beaten earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters and trades at a PEG of 0.04 with a forward price-to-earnings of 12.7x, while analysts see 48% upside to approximately $96. However, 75% revenue concentration in government customers creates binary risk around contract awards and funding continuity, and a single quarter miss of -41% shows earnings volatility can be severe.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E2.4
P/S9.9
EV/EBITDA3.8
Fwd P/E8.8
PEG10.0
Analyst target9.0
  • Forward P/E: 12.7x
  • PEG: 0.04
  • Attractively valued

Quality

4.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE3.8
ROA2.0
Gross margin0.0
Op margin1.7
Net margin0.7
Current ratio4.8
FCF quality10.0
Moat5.6
Piotroski F7.8
  • Excellent cash conversion: 852% FCF/NI
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9

Growth

5.4/10data confidence 33%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth5.4

Momentum

4.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI5.5
MACD10.0
OBV1.0
MA position4.0
Volume2.2
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

6.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating5.0
Price target9.5
erm sentiment5.0
  • Analyst upside: 48%

Insider

3.9/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality4.5
insider conviction2.0
holder change5.1
  • Modest insider selling — $2,061,300 (0.051% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

2.6/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank5.1
quality rank1.7
growth rank3.4

Technical

5.2/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger5.1
support resistance5.2
52w position5.4

Risk (lower is worse)

4.2/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest7.2
days to cover6.3
volatility0.3
put call0.0
implied vol3.9
beta3.2
debt equity8.5
  • Elevated put/call: 4.00
  • Concentration risks: 1 HIGH, 1 MED (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

5.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg3.4
dividend safety5.2
  • Strong earnings: 3B/1M
  • Dividend: 31.0%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (7)
  • MOMENTUM:4.5>=4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:2.4>=1.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:32d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (0)

none

Warning (2)
  • MOMENTUM:4.5<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
Reward-to-Risk
2.40
Upside
+25.4%
Downside
10.6%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupRange Bound RSI 57 mid-range, Bollinger mid-band

EdgeNo clear edge No clear edge identified

SuitabilityAggressive Beta 2.05>1.3, MCap $4.1B<$5B

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 5.0 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Value at 7.7) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Current asymmetry R:R is 2.40 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Value at 7.7, Sentiment at 6.5, and Growth at 5.4; the weakest are Peer rank at 2.6, Insider at 3.9, and Quality at 4.0. The V9 engine cleared all gates with 2 warnings, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 2.40 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Extreme Government Customer Concentration

    Trip ifGovernment customer revenues fall below 60% of total revenues due to contract cancellations or funding reductions, or a major contract is terminated representing more than 10% of annual revenues.

  • P2Deep Value With Analyst Upside

    Trip ifAnalyst consensus price targets decline below $75, below the current price of $76.55, signaling broad-based downward revision.

  • P3Strong Free Cash Conversion Signal

    Trip ifFree cash flow drops below 100% of net income for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4Earnings Volatility With Beat Streak

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below -30% in 2 of the next 4 quarters, indicating persistent project execution problems.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

Home Stocks TPC Why this verdict