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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Monaghan by Timothy O'Grady: plot wobbles under weight of geography
Monaghan Author : Timothy O'Grady ISBN-13 : 978-1789651867 Publisher : Unbound Guideline Price : £16.99 In New York, a former professor of architectural theory at Columbia University, Ronan Treanor, writes a letter to his Finnish wife, who has left him and gone back to Turku, taking their young daughter with her. He seeks to explain his recent strange behaviour. While on an 'academic mission' to San Sebastián, Spain, he tells her, he saw an exhibition entitled MONAGHAN, the name of his home place. Among the works was an image of his mother's great-uncle, an old IRA man known as 'Generous' McCabe. The artist himself turns out to have been an IRA sniper during the Troubles, operating under the name Ryan. He takes Treanor back to his lair in Labourd, France. There follow revelations about Treanor's father and brother, who, unbeknown to him, were deeply embroiled in the Troubles-era IRA campaign. Right from the beginning, plot wobbles under the weight of geographical co-ordinates, and things only get more complicated. Treanor's letter is interspersed with scenes from Ryan's past life, when he escaped to San Francisco, having murdered a British intelligence official. READ MORE Unless there's a lot of other information ex-paramilitaries still aren't sharing, Ryan's experiences exceed their typical retirement expectations. He attracts the devotion of a 'very beautiful' trans nomad with 'dark amber' skin; the unquestioning loyalty of a Vietnamese designer called Ming; the raging envy of a larcenous Oxford-educated banker, Paul, and the confessions of a magnetic circus performer, dubbed 'the Ice Queen'. All the while, he develops his craft as a painter. Like three of O'Grady's previous works, Monaghan involves a collaboration with a visual artist, featuring drawings by Anthony Lott. The novel's characters also recall the interviews that form the basis of O'Grady's non-fiction studies, their biographies activated like recordings in museum displays. Treanor, onetime enthusiast for post-structuralism, sabotages his career because of guilt at never having 'made anything'– and at having 'run away' from what is referred to as 'the war,' a conflict portrayed (uncritically, it would appear) as a continuing postcolonial struggle. Both 'the war' and the characters seem like paintings or drawings, fixed and emblematic. Actual interaction is signalled only by senseless destruction. Somewhere, unconfronted in the debris, lies a motif about fathers abandoning their children. As the Finnish wife wisely responds: don't write, don't call.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
ROBERT HARDMAN: The staggering naivety of armchair warrior judge, as reconstruction exposes flaws in controversial SAS legal ruling
Standing on the very spot where it all happened, I am trying to envisage being part of that SAS unit who were lying just behind a low hedge here in February 1992. Three cars and a lorry full of gun-toting IRA terrorists have just screeched to a halt in front of you, the gun barrel of their Russian-built 'Dushka' heavy machine gun still hot from perforating a police station. At which point, according to a senior British judge, there was only one correct and legal course of action. The SAS commanding officer should have stood up and declared: 'Hands up! Put down your weapons. You are all under arrest.' Is it any wonder that British Special Forces veterans now warn that soldiers are more at risk from 'lawfare' than warfare? As I retrace the events of that night in slow motion, in the company of someone who knows that operation as well as anyone, I begin to despair of the creeping judicial over-reach that has now replaced common sense with legalistic wishful thinking. Short of issuing instructions that the correct way to handle a charging elephant is with a pea shooter or that the appropriate response to a great white shark is to poke it in the eye, I cannot think of a more naive idea than the solution by Mr Justice Humphreys, presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, for disarming nine men pointing a heavy machine gun at your face. Yet it is no joke. As a result, the judge has handed down a ruling at Northern Ireland's Coroner's Court which now casts serious doubt on the way in which the British state defends itself from future enemies. All is tranquil at Clonoe chapel these days, the scene little changed except that the original hedge has vanished beneath an extension to the car park. The SAS did indeed come here that night with the aim of capturing the East Tyrone Brigade of the IRA red-handed in the act of preparing an attack, though they were ready for every eventuality. And events did not go to plan. The terrorists suddenly drove in already fully armed, their headlights exposing the soldiers lying on the ground. In that split second, the commanding officer had no idea if they had been spotted. Should he gamble his men's lives by waiting to find out? Moments later, four IRA men lay dead with one injured and four more escaping. The IRA, Sinn Fein and the families of the dead now want this treated as a crime against humanity. So, 33 years on, and with £1.3million of taxpayers' money already spent on a 'legacy inquest', those SAS soldiers must wait to see if they are to be prosecuted for murder. That is because Sir Michael Humphreys (to give him his full title) has sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions having ruled that the SAS were in breach of the Human Rights Act – which did not even exist at the time. Both the Ministry of Defence and the veterans have now demanded a judicial review of the judge's decision. Sinn Fein has described any quibbling with Sir Michael's wisdom as 'disgraceful' and 'a cynical attempt to deny families truth and justice'. You do not have to probe very far to realise it would, in fact, be 'disgraceful' to let his verdict stand. For, as we reveal today, it contains multiple flaws, starting with Sir Michael's assertion that the troops had staged an 'ambush' with no serious intention of making arrests. He bases this on the fact that 'the terminology of "ambush" appears frequently in both RUC and MOD documents'. However, as both soldiers and police from that era tell me, there is a world of difference between military jargon and a legalistic dictionary definition. 'If this had been a proper ambush then it should be in every military textbook under the heading: "How not to stage an ambush",' says one senior veteran of covert operations in Northern Ireland. 'If this really had been an ambush, you would have had at least three machine guns covering what would be called "the killing zone". 'This operation had one machine gun and no "killing zone". If it really had been an SAS ambush, there is no way half of them would get away. They'd all be dead.' Moreover, 'ambush' was a general term for catching all forms of criminality. 'We used to go on border patrols to catch people smuggling cattle and butter,' says a former RUC officer of the period. 'We'd talk about a "butter ambush" or a "cattle ambush". It didn't mean we shot the cattle or opened fire on the butter.' What irks the veterans even more is the judge's flat insistence that the terrorists never fired a single shot at the SAS. The ruling makes much of the fact that the dead IRA men were found with both the 'Dushka' machine gun and their AKM (Kalashnikov) rifles switched to 'safe' mode. 'There is no evidence of any AKM weapon being fired in an exchange of gunfire,' the judge declares. 'I find, as a matter of fact, that no member of the Provisional IRA unit opened fire at the Clonoe chapel car park.' To which the response of many veterans is simply unprintable. First, even if all the guns really were in 'safe' mode, there is no way the soldiers could have known that was the case. Just minutes earlier they heard the whole lot blasting away, both at the local police station and again, en route to the car park, while firing a salute over the house of a dead IRA man. Second, the veterans argue that the weapons could easily have been switched to 'safe' as a matter of routine by the hordes of police, fireman, regular soldiers and other first responders crawling over the site. Sir Michael states: 'I have no doubt that this would have been recorded.' Not so, say the soldiers. In particular, one familiar with the 'Dushka' points out that it is a very complicated process to make it safe, requiring at least five separate movements which would be extremely difficult while clinging on to the back of a lorry careering round sharp corners. Of much greater concern is the miraculous wound suffered by the one SAS casualty that night. As 'Soldier H' jumped up from behind the hedge, he was shot in the face by a bullet which went in cleanly above his upper lip and out through his cheek. In his verdict, Sir Michael states: 'He was struck by a ricocheted bullet fired by one of his colleagues.' Again, SAS veterans shake their heads. 'You only need to see the photo of the wound to realise that this was not a ricochet,' says George Simm, SAS Regimental Sergeant-Major at the time. 'If it was, it must be the first case of a ricochet coming back at 180 degrees but with a nice neat hole.' A bullet rebounding off a hard object he says is usually an irregular shape, 'makes a hell of a mess' and very often does not exit at all. 'Besides, we were using armour-piercing rounds. What would they have been ricocheting from?' Then there is the unanswered question of the guns that got away in the two IRA cars which escaped. One car was abandoned a mile away next to the local Gaelic football stadium. The gang set it ablaze before fleeing. When the fire brigade arrived, they were pushed back by a mob who had suddenly appeared in order to ensure that any evidence was burned to a crisp. However, the report acknowledges two findings. First, all the car seats were folded down except the driver's, as would happen if a machine gunner was operating in the back. Second, a clip from a belt of machine gun ammunition was still in the car. Might this explain why four soldiers reported seeing distinct 'muzzle flashes' from the IRA? The verdict also makes repeated mention of IRA men being shot when they 'posed no threat to anyone'. Once again, the veterans suggest that this is pure guesswork by a judge-turned-tactical commander sitting at a desk three decades after the event. 'You shoot until you perceive there is no further threat and that is when you stop,' says Mr Simm, citing the occasion where he had his gun pointing at a gang who had just shot his commanding officer. As they raised their hands in the air, he did not open fire. 'Just remember this,' he says. 'The SAS arrested more IRA terrorists than they killed in Northern Ireland.' These are just few of the reasons why the SAS veterans feel that the Clonoe inquest is a turning point. Of much greater concern is the judge's overall verdict that the soldiers did not have 'an honest belief' that they needed to shoot. Perhaps more alarming still was his pronouncement that 'the operation was not planned and controlled in such a way as to minimise to the greatest extent possible the need for recourse to lethal force'. If that is now the official benchmark by which Britain's Special Forces are to operate, say the veterans, then we must take the judge at his word. Commanding officers must now make it very clear to new recruits that the most effective way to 'minimise' the possibility of killing our enemies 'to the greatest extent possible', is to avoid going anywhere near them in the first place. And whatever you do, please don't shoot. In short, the SAS set out that night to apprehend a gang assembling a gun. The judge disputes this and also says their lives were not at risk. So let us leave the final word to the IRA. In their official statement the following day, the East Tyrone Brigade 'acknowledged with pride' that four of their men had 'died gallantly in action' during 'an IRA operation'. For the avoidance of doubt, walk a few yards round the corner from the Clonoe chapel car park to the IRA plaque on the wall honouring the dead men. There is no mention of an ambush, of foul play or subterfuge. It states clearly: 'Killed On Active Service.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ex-royal aide blasts betrayal of SAS heroes - former Special Forces officer backs Mail's campaign to protect Northern Ireland veterans from legal witch hunts
A former royal aide and SAS officer has backed the Mail's campaign to protect Northern Ireland veterans from legal witch hunts. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a godfather to Prince George, joined the call for an end to so-called lawfare that dates back to the Troubles. This week, the Mail launched the Stop The SAS Betrayal campaign to protect troops from being hounded by the threat of legal action decades after they served. This newspaper is demanding that ministers reverse their bid to repeal clauses in the Legacy Act that provide protections for Northern Ireland veterans, or produce a proper alternative. At the centre of the campaign is a case involving 12 SAS soldiers whose killing of four IRA terrorists in 1992 has been found 'unlawful' by a coroner. They could face murder charges. Last night, a petition backing the soldiers had gained more than 155,000 signatures. A parliamentary debate on the issue is scheduled for July 14. Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, a former SAS squadron commander and principal private secretary to Princes William and Harry, and latterly the Duchess of Cambridge, said such cases put the regiment's future in jeopardy. He added: 'This is an abhorrent injustice. Though bound by the SAS strict code of discretion, I know from my experience SAS soldiers have proved they can meet any threat – except, perhaps, the one they face from lawfare. 'It seems to me the British have a decision to make. Either they move to protect their SAS soldiers – as they have protected them – or they do nothing and lose the SAS. 'In capability and character, this is a strategic asset no other country has and which – any day now – the British people might sorely need. 'This is why I wholeheartedly support the Daily Mail's campaign to protect our veterans.' Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, who rarely speaks publicly due to his previous royal roles, has joined forces with other SAS commanders and MPs such as Sir David Davis and Mark Francois, as well as former veterans minister Johnny Mercer. The father-of-four was a British Army officer for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Iraq. His first Royal appointment was as an equerry to the Queen Mother from 1984 to 1986. His intervention came as the Prime Minister's veterans' tsar branded plans to amend the Legacy Act 'immoral' and 'two-tier justice'. David Johnstone, the Veterans' Commissioner for Northern Ireland, said up to 70 former soldiers could be forced into the dock as a result. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'It's lopsided, it's two-tier justice, and if the Government thinks that they can reverse this and there not be push-back from veterans, well, I think they're in for a surprise, because veterans are just not going to stand for it. 'The pressure is on that this Government should not make reversals that will put soldiers in the dock for doing their jobs. 'The then-Labour government came to the society in Northern Ireland, and said, 'Look, in order to have peace, you must accept terrorists being let out of jail… royal pardons, effective amnesty for terrorists'. 'Then there was the decommissioning of weapons, which meant that the evidence that could have put terrorists in prison was destroyed. So society was asked to accept all of those things. 'And yet, 27 years on, we have this ongoing vexatious lawfare which is targeting and demonising those who wore the uniform.' The Mail can also reveal that SAS veterans facing a possible criminal probe over their killing of four IRA terrorists in February 1992 are to stage a re-enactment. The reconstruction of events at Clonoe, County Tyrone, is part of a bid by the Ministry of Defence to instigate a judicial review of the verdict at Northern Ireland Coroner's Court and have the ruling overturned. Coroner Mr Justice Humphreys found the soldiers' use of force was excessive, even though the terrorists had a heavy machine gun, a medium machine gun and AK47 assault rifles. Peter Clancy, Kevin Barry O'Donnell and Sean O 'Farrell (pictured left to right) were shot dead by SAS soldiers in 1992. They were all members of the IRA and had used a machine gun mounted on a lorry to shoot up a police station Former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) George Simm said: 'The reconstruction aims to provide a true account of what happened to balance the judge's version of events. 'The team as a whole are clear in their minds the IRA fired first. Some of the soldiers observed muzzle flashes through their night sights. 'There are also accounts of thumps into the ground alongside where they were hiding. 'Forensics say there were marks on the bushes and branches. And, one of the team got hit in the face. There was no 'subject-matter expert' [expert witness] at the hearing as the judge assumed his version of events was correct. 'He gave the appearance of choosing evidence to suit his narrative, rather than looking at the evidence objectively.' Following the coroner's decision earlier this year, files have been passed to Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions, which could lead to some of the SAS veterans being charged. The Legacy Act was introduced by then veterans minister Mr Mercer in 2023 to stop Troubles veterans being prosecuted decades after the conflict. Labour's manifesto last year included a pledge to repeal it. British soldiers were said to be constantly looking over their shoulders while based in Northern Ireland and that it was an 'extremely dangerous place'. Pictured is a British Paratrooper detaining a youth during riots on Bloody Sunday in 1972 The Act was found to breach the European Convention on Human Rights, which places an investigative duty on the state where its agents may have caused death or injury. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has defended the move, telling the Mail that any government would have to repeal unlawful legislation. He said the Government was 'engaging with veterans and all interested parties over future legislation, and we will ensure there are far better protections in place'. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had lodged an application seeking permission to judicially review the coroner's recent findings and verdict in the Clonoe inquest'. A defence source said: 'We consider that the findings and verdict do not properly reflect the context of the incident nor the challenging circumstances in which members of the Armed Forces served in Northern Ireland. 'The MoD is funding the veterans in question to seek judicial review and providing them with welfare support.'
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
10 Steps To Help You Prepare for Retirement
If your idea of the perfect retirement is to enjoy leisurely mornings, you'll need to start preparing ahead of time. Retirement planning starts while you're still working. No matter how old you are, now is the perfect time to create a savings plan to help you retire comfortably. Find Out: Learn More: To ease the process of planning for retirement, it's a good idea to break it down into some basic steps. You'll start by creating a vision of your retirement lifestyle, helping turn it over the years as you build your savings. Let's dig into the need-to-know, essential details for proper retirement planning. Even if you are fresh out of high school, it's never too early to start saving for retirement. A good first step is looking at the different savings plans available. One option is to open a high-yield savings account dedicated to your retirement savings. Many Americans rely on company-sponsored 401(k) plans to build retirement savings. Other options include: One-participant 401(k)s if you are a business owner with no employees 403(b)s Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) Roth IRAs SIMPLE IRAs Read Next: If your employer offers a 401(k) plan or other retirement plan, sign up and contribute. This is the best and easiest way to start building a retirement fund. When you use an employer-sponsored plan, your employer handles the heavy lifting. All you have to do is agree to have money deducted from your paycheck every pay cycle. You also get tax advantages. And if your employer matches your contribution, you get free money that goes into your retirement savings. In 2025, employees can contribute up to $23,500 in their: 401(k) 403(b) 457 plans The federal government's Thrift Savings Plan Many government employers offer a traditional pension plan rather than a 401(k) plan. If your employer offers a pension plan, find out if you're covered. You can ask for an individual benefit statement to understand your pension's value and ensure you know what's happening with your benefits before changing jobs. If you don't have access to a 401(k) or pension plan, you should start investing in an IRA to build your nest egg. IRAs offer tax benefits that bolster your retirement savings over time. Even if you have a company-sponsored plan, invest in an IRA to save faster. Keep in mind that the maximum you can contribute to an IRA in 2025 is $7,000 a year. However, you get an additional 'catch-up' contribution of $1,000 to bring the total to $8,000 if you're 50 or older. Saving money for retirement is only part of your overall strategy. You also need to make sure your investments have the right mix of: Stocks Bonds Mutual funds ETFs Real estate Other assets Spreading your investments across diverse assets can mitigate risk and produce steady returns over time. It's important to never dip into these accounts unless you're facing a financial emergency. Taking loans and early withdrawals from your retirement savings can set your retirement plans back years. For example, if your 401(k) plan allows you to take a loan, you'll be required to repay it — including interest — according to strict terms. If you don't adhere to these requirements, any unpaid amounts will become a plan distribution. In most cases, you'll have to include any previously untaxed amount of the distribution in your gross income the year the distribution occurred. You might also face an additional 10% tax on the amount of the taxable distribution. Once you have done the early planning, you should set a target age for retirement. Some people choose to continue working well into their 60s and 70s, especially if they enjoy your work. Others prefer to step out of the workforce to travel or spend time with loved ones while they are still in good health. You'll also need to envision your ideal retirement lifestyle. Things to consider include: Where you'll live How much your lifestyle will cost Whether you need to earn extra money through a part-time job or side gig A big part of enjoying retirement is having enough money to live your ideal lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Labor recommends having 70% to 90% of your income to maintain your current standard of living. If you're currently earning $60,000 per year, you'll likely need $42,000 to $54,000 per year in retirement, or $3,500 to $4,500 per month. If you think Social Security will cover most of this cost, you're probably mistaken. As of May 2025, the average Social Security retirement benefit was about $2,002 a month, according to the Social Security Administration. That's not nearly enough to cover the average living costs in the United States. To help you formulate a good savings goal, look at the retirement calculator from GOBankingRates. You can use it to determine how much you might need to save for retirement. To figure out the right amount, it will use factors such as: Retirement age Savings Income You can start claiming Social Security benefits as early as age 62. However, delaying your claim can increase your monthly payments. The full retirement age is when you qualify for full benefits. That's considered 66 or 67 depending on when you were born. After age 70, there's no financial benefit to delaying further. To be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, you need a minimum of 10 years of work, equivalent to 40 credits. Your benefit amount is calculated based on your 35 highest-earning years. Planning for retirement is not just about setting aside money for the future. You should develop an investment strategy that maximizes your returns and helps build an adequate nest egg for your golden years. This involves: Understanding different investments Managing risk Planning for a long retirement to ensure you don't run out of money Learning the tax laws and how best to navigate them If you have the resources, you should hire a financial advisor. They can help you put together the best plan for your personal financial situation and retirement goals. If you're retirement planning for the next five years, you're probably getting excited for this new chapter. Many of the decisions you make now can have a lasting impact on your retirement lifestyle. This period and the first five years after retirement are known as the fragile decade. You want to ensure you're taking the right steps now to ensure a smooth financial transition into your golden years. Some actions to take include: Maximize all of your retirement accounts if you can do so. Take a close look at your current budget. Pay down as much debt as possible. Consider purchasing supplemental coverage to assist with medical costs. If you haven't already, reach out to a fee-only financial planner to make sure your investment plan is on track. Decide exactly where you'll live and use this to determine your estimated cost of living. Take a closer look at your estimated Social Security monthly benefit. If you don't already, make sure you have an emergency fund in place, so you don't have to take extra money out of a taxable retirement fund or get a job if you're faced with an unexpected major expense. It's never too early or too late to start planning for retirement. The more time you spend thinking about the kind of life you want and taking steps to prepare for it now, the more likely you are to enjoy your golden years. Even if retirement is a long way away, today's actions will hugely impact your future. Opening a retirement savings account and contributing a portion of each paycheck might mean you have to sacrifice a bit now, but that's nothing compared to the amount you'll have to stretch your budget in retirement without proper savings. Allison Hache and Jennifer Taylor contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Tells Americans To Stock Up on Consumables as Trump's Tariffs Hit -- Here's What To Buy This article originally appeared on 10 Steps To Help You Prepare for Retirement
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Sterling Continue to Maintain Its 29% EPS Growth in 2025?
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. STRL has shifted its focus toward large-scale mission-critical projects, including data centers, which are proving incremental for its bottom line and revenue visibility. Supporting this strategic decision of the company is the current favorable market backdrop concerning public infrastructure demand, backed by several government initiatives, namely the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This shift toward higher-margin service offerings is boding well for STRL's margin and earnings per share (EPS) growth, as evidenced by the 29.4% year-over-year EPS growth in the first quarter of 2025, alongside its adjusted operating margin expanding 618 basis demand for data center-related projects is currently strong in the market thanks to the ongoing surge in Artificial Intelligence applications and the focus on digital transformation initiatives. STRL highlighted that the mission-critical projects hold the majority of its E-Infrastructure segment's (51% of first quarter 2025 revenue) backlog, with data center-related work accounting for more than 65%. Backed by the robust market trends, the E-Infrastructure segment's backlog grew 27% year over year to $1.2 billion as of the first quarter of 2025, with Sterling finishing the quarter with a total backlog of $2.13 Sterling's efficient project management skills and ability to complete projects on or before the deadline are acting as a catalyst toward its growth amid the favorable infrastructure spending market backdrop. Owing to these tailwinds, the company raised its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to be in the range of $8.40-$8.90 from the previously expected range of $7.90-$8.40. The updated values reflect 18.5-25.5% year-over-year growth. The analysts' sentiments are bullish for Sterling, attributable to increased public infrastructure demand and its ability to capitalize on those opportunities, driving its backlog. For 2025, STRL's earnings estimates have trended upward in the past 60 days to $8.61 per share. The estimated figures reflect 41.2% year-over-year growth. Although the 2026 earnings estimate has been revised downward in the past 60 days to $9.48 per share, the estimated figure indicates 10.1% year-over-year growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Moreover, EPS estimates for the second, third and fourth quarters indicate 35.3%, 32.5% and 43.8% year-over-year growth, respectively. The robust trend indicates that the company will be able to maintain or rather outperform its EPS growth streak for the remainder of 2025. STRL shares space with renowned market players, including EMCOR Group, Inc. EME and Quanta Services, Inc. PWR, which are also benefiting from the market backdrop of strong public infrastructure demand, especially across data centers, energy infrastructure and power grid is a Connecticut-based mechanical and electrical construction, industrial and energy infrastructure, and building services provider, which is gaining from the growing infrastructural demand across the network and communications sector. For 2025 and 2026, EMCOR's EPS estimates trended upward in the past 60 days by 0.9% to $23.59 and 0.3% to $25.47, indicating 9.6% and 8% year-over-year growth, is a Texas-based infrastructure services provider, currently benefiting from its involvement in the advancement and implementation of technology solutions throughout the entire decarbonization spectrum. For 2025 and 2026, Quanta's EPS estimates moved up in the past 60 days by 1% to $10.33 and 0.1% to $11.69, indicating 15.2% and 13.2% year-over-year growth, respectively. Shares of this Texas-based infrastructure services provider have gained 35.7% so far this year, significantly outperforming the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry, the broader Zacks Construction sector, and the S&P 500 index. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research STRL stock is currently trading at a premium compared with the industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 25.32X, as evidenced by the chart below. The overvaluation of the stock compared with its industry peers indicates its strong potential in the market, given the favorable trends backing it up. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
