New York, Jan 8, 2026, 15:03 EST — Regular session
- MYR Group shares fell about 8% in afternoon trade, tracking a broad drop in U.S. engineering and construction names
- Treasury yields rose as investors waited for Friday’s U.S. payrolls report
- Traders are looking next to the jobs data and MYR Group’s expected late-February results
MYR Group Inc shares were down 7.6% at $218 on Thursday afternoon, putting the electrical contractor among the sharper decliners in U.S. infrastructure-linked stocks. The stock opened higher and then slid, hitting an intraday low of $215.30.
The selling came as major U.S. indexes eased and Treasury yields firmed, with investors reluctant to add risk before Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report. That report is a key input for rate-cut bets because it can shift views on growth and inflation.
Fresh labor-market data did little to calm nerves. Initial jobless claims rose to 208,000 last week, and productivity accelerated at a 4.9% annualized pace in the third quarter, Labor Department data showed; Oxford Economics’ Matthew Martin said productivity “will be key” for growth and inflation dynamics. Reuters
MYR Group’s drop was not isolated. Quanta Services fell 5.9%, EMCOR Group slid 4.3%, MasTec dropped 8.4% and Dycom Industries lost 5.0%, as traders sold contractors exposed to utility, communications and energy buildouts.
MYR Group builds and maintains electrical transmission and distribution lines and other power infrastructure, and also works on commercial and industrial projects. In its most recent quarterly report, the company posted revenue of $950.4 million and earnings per share of $2.05, and said backlog — work awarded but not yet performed — rose to $2.66 billion; CEO Rick Swartz told analysts the market was “an elongated” one that could “go out for years.” Investing.com
There was no new company announcement on MYR Group’s investor relations news page, which lists its latest press release dated Dec. 9. That left Thursday’s move looking more like a macro-driven pullback than a reaction to a fresh filing or deal headline.
Investors now have a near-term calendar to trade against. MYR Group is expected to report results on Feb. 25, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar.
But the setup cuts both ways. A stronger-than-expected jobs report could push yields higher again and keep pressure on rate-sensitive contractors, while a weaker print could revive recession worries and still hit cyclical names; for MYR Group, execution risk on large projects and swings in labor and material conditions can move margins quarter to quarter.
