Willdan beats estimates with $231M quarter as new backers pile in
What's the deal? Willdan GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → posted quarterly revenue of $231.03 million, more than double the $102.27 million analysts expected, and earnings of $2.07 per share against a $1.30 consensus. The construction and energy consulting company reported these results on August 6, 2026.
What does the company do? WilldanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → provides energy efficiency, infrastructure engineering, and technical consulting services to public and private sector clients. It carries a market capitalisation of $1.29 billion and trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker WLDN.
Why now? The beat coincides with fresh institutional interest. Rice Hall James & Associates acquired a new stake of 30,579 shares worth about $2.419 million in the second quarter, according to its Form 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Who else is buying? Goldman SachsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → raised its holdings by 35.1% in the first quarter to 214,421 shares worth $8.731 million, while Jane StreetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → lifted its stake by 205.9%. JPMorgan ChaseDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → added 8,602 shares in the second quarter, bringing its position to 87,234 shares valued at $5.453 million. Institutional investors now own 72.29% of the company.
By the numbers: Willdan reported a net margin of 8.80% and a return on equity of 24.51%. The stock opened at $84.54 on August 19, 2026, below its 12-month high of $137.00 and above its low of $64.67.
What could go wrong? Analyst views are split. Zacks Research cut the stock to "hold" from "strong-buy" on July 28, 2026, and its average rating sits at "hold" with a target price of $127.50 — though Wedbush maintained an "outperform" rating with a $130.00 target.
The signal: Willdan has set FY 2026 guidance at 5.000–5.150 EPS, above the 4.12 EPS analysts currently forecast. A strong quarter paired with rising institutional ownership points to growing confidence in demand for energy efficiency and infrastructure consulting.
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