Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 18.9x · EV/EBITDA 9.9x · ROE 9.1%. (1996–2025 historical series)
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $179M | $165M | $153M | $157M | $81M | $133M | $106M | $82M | $50M | $87M | $91M |
| Enterprise Value | $208M | $193M | $179M | $177M | $139M | $176M | $149M | $115M | $90M | $125M | $119M |
| P/E Ratio → | 18.88 | 16.19 | 15.24 | 8.82 | 26.71 | 9.77 | 13.04 | 14.87 | 10.96 | 21.47 | 15.59 |
| P/S Ratio | 0.91 | 0.84 | 0.79 | 0.82 | 0.42 | 0.73 | 0.64 | 0.58 | 0.37 | 0.67 | 0.73 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.63 | 1.40 | 1.43 | 1.60 | 1.03 | 1.73 | 1.69 | 1.47 | 0.96 | 1.75 | 1.98 |
| P/FCF | 23.63 | 21.74 | 31.70 | 6.55 | — | — | 33.55 | 6.31 | 40.56 | — | 13.04 |
| P/OCF | 9.82 | 9.04 | 12.78 | 5.42 | 28.17 | 25.93 | 18.48 | 5.59 | 11.28 | 18.12 | 10.33 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.98 | 0.92 | 0.93 | 0.72 | 0.97 | 0.91 | 0.81 | 0.66 | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.86 | 9.18 | 8.88 | 9.72 | 12.84 | 10.36 | 9.79 | 9.66 | 8.43 | 11.62 | 10.91 |
| EV / EBIT | 14.11 | 12.71 | 12.48 | 6.87 | 22.90 | 10.93 | 13.86 | 13.71 | 12.13 | 15.96 | 14.17 |
| EV / FCF | — | 25.53 | 37.18 | 7.42 | — | — | 47.36 | 8.81 | 72.37 | — | 16.89 |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 39.4% | 39.4% | 39.3% | 37.7% | 32.8% | 35.6% | 36.3% | 36.5% | 36.9% | 36.7% | 36.6% |
| Operating Margin | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 6.9% | 3.2% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 5.9% | 5.4% | 6.0% | 6.8% |
| Net Profit Margin | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 9.3% | 1.6% | 7.5% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.8% | 20.1% | 3.9% | 19.5% | 13.7% | 10.2% | 9.0% | 8.4% | 13.1% |
| ROA | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.4% | 11.3% | 2.0% | 10.0% | 6.7% | 5.0% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 6.7% |
| ROIC | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.4% | 7.8% | 3.7% | 8.5% | 8.8% | 7.0% | 6.2% | 7.3% | 9.1% |
| ROCE | 10.1% | 10.1% | 10.8% | 9.9% | 4.7% | 10.9% | 11.2% | 8.9% | 7.7% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.31 | 0.26 | 0.80 | 0.62 | 0.76 | 0.71 | 0.84 | 0.95 | 0.71 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.63 | 1.40 | 5.87 | 2.80 | 3.13 | 3.32 | 4.12 | 4.40 | 3.03 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.73 | 0.55 | 0.69 | 0.59 | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.59 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.31 | 1.13 | 5.30 | 2.51 | 2.86 | 2.74 | 3.70 | 3.53 | 2.49 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 3.79 | 5.48 | 0.87 | — | — | 13.82 | 2.50 | 31.81 | — | 3.85 |
| Interest Coverage | 9.05 | 9.05 | 6.90 | 8.34 | 2.53 | 17.46 | 11.41 | 4.58 | 3.93 | 5.78 | 9.63 |
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 4.21 | 4.21 | 4.17 | 3.54 | 4.77 | 4.70 | 4.14 | 4.41 | 5.46 | 4.64 | 5.07 |
| Quick Ratio | 4.20 | 4.20 | 1.71 | 1.41 | 1.91 | 2.06 | 1.63 | 2.04 | 2.37 | 2.25 | 2.16 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.28 | 0.18 | 0.28 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.41 | 0.33 | 0.56 | 0.46 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.13 | 1.20 | 1.28 | 1.18 | 1.26 | 1.26 | 1.29 | 1.25 | 1.14 | 1.35 |
| Inventory Turnover | 1990.44 | 1990.44 | 2.10 | 2.15 | 2.06 | 2.19 | 2.06 | 2.30 | 2.10 | 2.06 | 2.12 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 0.05 | 52.99 | 50.00 | 61.35 | 68.60 | 60.48 | 65.30 | 66.72 | 72.73 | 58.66 |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.5% |
| Payout Ratio | 23.0% | 23.0% | 22.2% | 11.2% | 62.7% | 13.1% | 19.8% | 29.2% | 32.3% | 34.8% | 22.8% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 5.3% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 11.3% | 3.7% | 10.2% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 9.1% | 4.7% | 6.4% |
| FCF Yield | 4.2% | 4.6% | 3.2% | 15.3% | — | — | 3.0% | 15.9% | 2.5% | — | 7.7% |
| Buyback Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $4M | $4M | $4M | $4M | $4M | $4M | $3M | $4M | $4M | $4M |
Stagnant organic revenue growth
Based on reported figures, ACU trades at a forward P/E of 24.97, which appears elevated relative to its historical averages and suggests that investors are pricing in a premium for the safety segment's recurring revenue despite the company's overall stagnant top-line growth and micro-cap liquidity profile.
The current valuation multiples indicate a market expectation for earnings expansion that has yet to materialize in the organic revenue data. Investors should monitor whether the shift toward higher-margin safety products can justify these multiples or if the stock remains trapped by its legacy office supply perception.
As reported in financial statements, ACU's ROIC has struggled to maintain momentum, frequently hovering in the low single digits, which indicates that the company's capital allocation strategy—while disciplined in its tuck-in acquisition approach—has not yet generated the compounding returns necessary to drive significant shareholder value creation.
The disparity between ROIC and the cost of capital warrants further investigation, as the company's reliance on small-scale acquisitions may be diluting overall efficiency. The lack of consistent double-digit returns suggests that the business model remains capital-intensive relative to the modest margins it currently produces.
According to recent SEC filings, ACU's cash conversion cycle remains extended, often exceeding 200 days, primarily driven by high inventory days on hand which suggests that the company's supply chain management is not yet optimized for the rapid replenishment demands of its safety and first aid business.
The persistent inventory bloat relative to sales turnover implies that the company may be carrying excess stock to mitigate supply chain risks, which directly ties up liquidity. This inefficiency appears to be a structural drag on the company's ability to convert operating profit into meaningful free cash flow.
Based on reported figures, ACU maintains a modest debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, which provides a degree of balance sheet stability; however, the company's reliance on revolving credit facilities for daily liquidity suggests that its actual financial flexibility is tighter than the headline leverage ratios might imply.
While the low debt levels are commendable in a rising rate environment, the company's interest coverage volatility indicates that even minor fluctuations in operating income could impact its debt-servicing capacity. Investors should monitor the company's reliance on credit lines as a proxy for its true cash-generating health.
As indicated by the provided data, the P/E ratio is the most commonly misapplied metric for ACU, as it obscures the company's transition from a legacy hardware manufacturer to a recurring-revenue safety provider, failing to account for the non-recurring nature of acquisition-related costs that distort earnings.
Analysts should instead focus on EV/EBITDA or free cash flow yield to better capture the underlying cash-generating power of the safety segment. Relying on P/E ignores the significant impact of tuck-in acquisitions and inventory accounting adjustments that frequently mask the true operational performance of the business.
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying ACU stock.
Acme United Corporation's current P/E ratio is 18.9x. The historical average is 16.5x. This places it at the 86th percentile of its historical range.
Acme United Corporation's current EV/EBITDA is 9.9x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 11.6x.
Acme United Corporation's return on equity (ROE) is 9.1%. The historical average is 11.0%.
Based on historical data, Acme United Corporation is trading at a P/E of 18.9x. This is at the 86th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
Acme United Corporation's current dividend yield is 1.22% with a payout ratio of 23.0%.
Acme United Corporation has 39.4% gross margin and 7.5% operating margin.
Acme United Corporation's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 1.4x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.