St. Joe (JOE) vs Meritage Homes (MTH)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
St. Joe (JOE) has outperformed Meritage Homes (MTH) over the past year, gaining 37.6% versus a loss of 13.9%. Over five years, JOE leads with a +46.8% price change compared with +18.3% for MTH. Meritage Homes is the larger company by market cap ($3.92 billion vs $3.69 billion), about 1.1 times the size.
On valuation, Meritage Homes trades at a lower forward P/E (10.7x vs 590.0x for St. Joe). Meritage Homes offers the higher dividend yield (3.03% vs 0.96%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | JOE | MTH |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $64.90 | $60.07 |
| Market cap | $3.69B | $3.92B |
| 1-day change | -1.64% | -4.38% |
| YTD return | +9.31% | -8.71% |
| 1-year return | +37.59% | -13.85% |
| 5-year return | +46.77% | +18.33% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 30.47 | 12.54 |
| Forward P/E | 590.00 | 10.70 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.13 | $4.79 |
| Dividend yield | 0.96% | 3.03% |
| Annual dividend | $0.62 | $1.82 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $513.25M | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +27.44% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $115.63M | $453.01M |
| Gross margin | 43.05% | — |
| Operating margin | 28.49% | — |
| Net margin | 22.53% | — |
| 52-week high | $73.54 | $85.38 |
| 52-week low | $46.37 | $58.03 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -11.75% | -29.64% |
| Analyst consensus | — | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | — | +29.85% |
| Average volume | 236.77K | 818.14K |
| Shares outstanding | 56.93M | 65.17M |
| Employees | 906 | 1,860 |
| Sector | Real Estate | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Homebuilding | Homebuilding |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- JOE has outperformed MTH by 51.4 percentage points over the past year.
- St. Joe trades at a higher earnings multiple (30.5x vs 12.5x trailing P/E).
- Meritage Homes offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.03% vs 0.96%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: St. Joe in Real Estate and Meritage Homes in Consumer Discretionary.
About St. Joe
JOE stock →The St. Joe Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate development, asset management, and operating company in the United States.
Real Estate · Homebuilding · 906 employees
About Meritage Homes
MTH stock →Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments: Homebuilding and Financial Services.
Consumer Discretionary · Homebuilding · 1,860 employees
JOE vs MTH FAQ
Which is bigger, St. Joe or Meritage Homes?
Meritage Homes (MTH) is larger, with a market capitalization of $3.92B compared with $3.69B for St. Joe (JOE).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, JOE or MTH?
JOE returned +37.59% over the past 12 months, compared with -13.85% for MTH (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, JOE or MTH?
MTH has the lower trailing P/E at 12.5, versus 30.5 for JOE. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, St. Joe or Meritage Homes?
Meritage Homes has the higher yield at 3.03%, compared with 0.96% for St. Joe.
Are St. Joe and Meritage Homes in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Homebuilding industry within the Real Estate sector.