Core and Main Inc vs HP Inc — how do they compare? Core and Main Inc trades at $44.88 (market cap $8.46B), while HP Inc trades at $23.58 (market cap $22.52B). The key difference: HP Inc is far larger — about 2.7× Core and Main Inc's market cap, and HP Inc pays a 4.87% dividend while Core and Main Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNM | HPQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.46B | $22.52B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $66.98 | $29.35 |
52-Week Low | $44.29 | $18.20 |
Enterprise Value | $10.76B | $29.69B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.87% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $44.74, down 2.44% today, amid bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.72 exceeding expectations, and maintains solid profitability with a 23.73% ROE. Recent news highlights municipal strength and margin gains, though residential segments face weakness. Cash flow trends improved in 2026 projections, with net cash flow rising to $142M from $7M in 2025.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans bullish with 57% buy ratings, but technical indicators signal near-term pressure. Key risks include industry headwinds like high operating costs and residential market softness. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against current bearish momentum for entry timing.
HPQ trades at $24.77, up 2.27% today, with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings momentum, beating estimates for three consecutive quarters. The stock offers a 4.8% dividend yield and trades at attractive valuation multiples, including a P/E of 9.17 and P/S of 0.41. Recent partnerships with OpenAI and Ferrari highlight strategic moves to enhance AI capabilities and innovation in the PC market.
The outlook is positive due to undervaluation, dividend income, and AI-driven growth potential, but risks include PC market volatility, competitive pressures, and reliance on hardware sales. Analyst consensus is mixed with a hold rating, but technical indicators suggest near-term strength with support at $24 and resistance at $25-26.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →HP Incorporated is a leading provider of computers, printers, and printer supplies. The company's mains segments are personal systems and printing. Its personal systems segment contains notebooks, desktops, and workstations. Its printing segment contains supplies, consumer hardware, and commercial hardware. In 2015, Hewlett-Packard was separated into HP Incorporated and Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the Palo Alto, California-based HP Incorporated sells on a global scale.
Read more on HPQ →