Quanta Services, Inc. PWR delivered strong cash generation in the second quarter of 2026, reinforcing one of the more encouraging aspects of its recent performance. Following a better-than-expected first half and improved visibility for the remainder of the year, the infrastructure services provider raised its full-year free cash flow (FCF) outlook to $2-$2.5 billion from $1.55-$2.05 billion. The updated forecast assumes operating cash flow of $2.9-$3.4 billion and roughly $900 million of net capital expenditures.
The increase comes after a sharp improvement in cash generation during the first six months of 2026. For the first half, FCF reached $1.07 billion, up from $288 million a year earlier. Operating cash flow totaled $1.49 billion through June, while net capital expenditures were about $417 million. Management cited that Quanta is securing more favorable contracting terms across the business, while expansion in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and renewable-energy work is supporting working-capital efficiency and stronger cash conversion.
The company's working-capital metrics also provide evidence of progress. Days sales outstanding stood at 57 days at the end of June 2026, down from 62 days a year earlier and well below Quanta's five-year historical average of 71 days. Lower DSO generally means revenues are being converted into cash faster, supporting operating cash flow. Management continues to view roughly 55% FCF conversion as a reasonable benchmark. However, Quanta sees opportunities to move into a 55%-60% range and says the company could potentially operate near the high end, with opportunities to exceed it depending on business mix.
Improving FCF could become increasingly important as Quanta continues investing aggressively in growth. The company spent $930.3 million on acquisitions during the first half of 2026 and $451 million on capital expenditures. Although accelerating utility activity could pressure working capital as large projects ramp, improving conversion and higher FCF expectations strengthen Quanta's capacity to fund growth and pursue disciplined capital allocation.
MasTec and Comfort Systems Show Mixed Cash Conversion Trends
Quanta’s improving free cash flow profile comes as infrastructure peers MasTec, Inc. MTZ and Comfort Systems USA, Inc. FIX also focus on converting strong end-market demand into cash while funding significant growth investments.
MasTec’s near-term cash conversion has been more constrained by working-capital needs. Despite strong second-quarter earnings growth, cash flow from operations was essentially flat as working-capital investment offset higher profitability. However, management still expects more than $1 billion of operating cash flow in 2026, with most of it anticipated in the fourth quarter. MasTec entered the second half with a record $21.4 billion backlog, supported by power delivery, clean energy, pipelines and mission-critical infrastructure, providing a solid base for future cash generation.
Comfort Systems, meanwhile, is demonstrating particularly strong cash conversion. The company generated $999 million of free cash flow in the second quarter, which management noted was roughly 2.5 times quarterly earnings. Favorable payment terms, advanced customer cash and strong project execution supported the performance. Despite funding acquisitions and substantial production-capacity investments, Comfort Systems ended the quarter with more than $1.8 billion of net cash and expects full-year capital expenditures to approximate 5% of revenues.
PWR’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
PWR stock has rallied 59.4% in the year-to-date (YTD) period, outperforming the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry, the broader Construction sector and the S&P 500 index.
PWR YTD Share Price Performance
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From a valuation standpoint, PWR trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 40.53X, well above the industry’s 27.29X, as shown below.
PWR Valuation
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PWR’s earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 trended upward in the past 30 days to $16.11 per share and $18.66, respectively. The revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 38.4% and 49.9%, respectively.
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PWR’s Zacks Rank
Quanta stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).