Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 14.3x · EV/EBITDA 7.1x · ROE 20.1%. (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 | $4.5B | $4.1B | $6.2B | $3.9B | $3.6B | $2.8B | $2.0B | $2.7B | $3.9B | $3.5B | $3.3B |
| Enterprise Value | $5.5B | $5.1B | $7.3B | $5.0B | $5.0B | $3.9B | $3.1B | $3.6B | $4.7B | $4.1B | $4.0B |
| P/E Ratio → | 14.34 | 12.63 | 16.63 | 8.96 | 17.65 | 11.55 | — | 16.97 | — | 14.65 | 22.21 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.21 | 1.11 | 1.56 | 1.00 | 0.84 | 0.84 | 0.78 | 0.80 | 1.19 | 1.29 | 1.37 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.75 | 2.42 | 3.92 | 2.78 | 3.52 | 2.61 | 2.51 | 2.35 | 3.03 | 2.19 | 2.40 |
| P/FCF | 11.53 | 10.54 | 13.80 | 11.15 | — | 45.92 | 11.52 | 19.45 | 55.28 | 18.13 | 12.03 |
| P/OCF | 6.78 | 6.20 | 9.00 | 6.58 | 36.35 | 11.08 | 5.41 | 7.38 | 12.94 | 10.29 | 8.54 |
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 | — | 1.37 | 1.84 | 1.28 | 1.15 | 1.15 | 1.18 | 1.07 | 1.45 | 1.52 | 1.67 |
| EV / EBITDA | 7.05 | 6.55 | 9.59 | 7.52 | 9.26 | 6.39 | 17.28 | 7.84 | 15.40 | 8.44 | 9.79 |
| EV / EBIT | 8.80 | 7.94 | 12.02 | 9.31 | 12.67 | 8.63 | 154.61 | 11.34 | 27.47 | 12.04 | 16.42 |
| EV / FCF | — | 12.99 | 16.26 | 14.35 | — | 63.30 | 17.47 | 25.98 | 67.11 | 21.46 | 14.68 |
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 | 25.3% | 25.3% | 24.0% | 21.3% | 20.5% | 23.4% | 19.1% | 20.5% | 24.1% | 24.0% | 24.0% |
| Operating Margin | 16.7% | 16.7% | 15.4% | 13.4% | 9.0% | 13.3% | 0.8% | 9.2% | 4.8% | 12.4% | 10.4% |
| Net Profit Margin | 8.9% | 8.9% | 9.5% | 11.3% | 4.8% | 7.3% | -9.1% | 4.7% | -3.5% | 8.9% | 6.2% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 20.1% | 20.1% | 25.4% | 36.5% | 19.7% | 26.3% | -24.4% | 13.0% | -7.8% | 16.2% | 11.0% |
| ROA | 8.8% | 8.8% | 10.4% | 12.5% | 6.1% | 8.2% | -8.2% | 5.0% | -3.4% | 7.4% | 4.8% |
| ROIC | 17.4% | 17.4% | 17.6% | 16.2% | 12.9% | 16.9% | 0.8% | 11.1% | 5.4% | 11.6% | 8.6% |
| ROCE | 21.3% | 21.3% | 21.4% | 20.2% | 17.0% | 20.6% | 0.9% | 13.0% | 6.4% | 12.7% | 9.3% |
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 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.84 | 0.97 | 1.48 | 1.14 | 1.48 | 0.94 | 0.78 | 0.58 | 0.67 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.74 | 2.03 | 2.85 | 2.03 | 6.73 | 2.34 | 3.29 | 1.88 | 2.25 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.56 | 0.70 | 0.80 | 1.28 | 0.99 | 1.29 | 0.79 | 0.65 | 0.40 | 0.53 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.45 | 1.67 | 2.47 | 1.76 | 5.88 | 1.97 | 2.71 | 1.31 | 1.77 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 2.45 | 2.45 | 3.20 | — | 17.39 | 5.95 | 6.53 | 11.83 | 3.34 | 2.65 |
| Interest Coverage | 8.42 | 8.42 | 7.53 | 6.01 | 6.98 | 9.29 | 0.38 | 5.32 | 3.17 | 6.49 | 4.54 |
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 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 2.08 | 1.98 | 1.65 | 1.24 | 1.85 | 2.02 | 1.46 | 1.70 | 2.65 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.36 | 1.27 | 1.05 | 0.79 | 1.17 | 1.24 | 0.92 | 1.17 | 1.82 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.18 | 0.38 | 0.48 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.97 | 1.07 | 1.09 | 1.23 | 1.03 | 0.94 | 1.11 | 1.00 | 0.82 | 0.76 |
| Inventory Turnover | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.29 | 5.17 | 4.99 | 5.89 | 5.69 | 4.82 | 5.21 | 5.27 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 65.96 | 66.99 | 64.53 | 70.62 | 69.06 | 58.37 | 57.97 | 71.72 | 70.80 | 69.03 |
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 | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.0% |
| Payout Ratio | 29.0% | 29.0% | 24.5% | 19.8% | 40.2% | 32.0% | — | 51.0% | — | 32.0% | 43.6% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 7.0% | 7.9% | 6.0% | 11.2% | 5.7% | 8.7% | — | 5.9% | — | 6.8% | 4.5% |
| FCF Yield | 8.7% | 9.5% | 7.2% | 9.0% | — | 2.2% | 8.7% | 5.1% | 1.8% | 5.5% | 8.3% |
| Buyback Yield | 3.7% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 0.1% | 2.2% | 6.5% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 5.8% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 6.1% | 9.5% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 3.3% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $54M | $56M | $57M | $57M | $57M | $57M | $59M | $62M | $63M | $63M |
Cyclical automotive demand exposure
According to current market data, Cabot trades at a 15.52x TTM P/E, suggesting that investors are pricing in a period of earnings stagnation as the company navigates a -7.04% revenue decline and the ongoing transition toward higher-margin battery material applications within its specialty chemicals portfolio.
The forward P/E of 14.79 indicates that the market anticipates a modest recovery in earnings, likely contingent on the stabilization of automotive production cycles. Investors should monitor whether the current EV/EBITDA multiple of 7.53 adequately compensates for the capital-intensive nature of the company's global furnace operations.
Based on recent financial disclosures, Cabot's ROIC has trended toward 3.6% in 2026Q2, a notable contraction from the 5.2% peak observed in 2024Q3, which highlights the difficulty of maintaining high returns on invested capital during periods of softening industrial demand and elevated environmental compliance spending.
The decline in ROIC suggests that the company's recent capital deployments, particularly in the battery materials segment, have yet to reach the necessary scale to offset the cyclical headwinds in the core Reinforcement Materials business. This trend warrants further investigation into whether the current asset base is being utilized efficiently or if the company is experiencing diminishing returns on its furnace fleet.
As reported in quarterly filings, Cabot's cash conversion cycle has fluctuated significantly, reaching 54 days in 2026Q2, which reflects the company's ongoing struggle to manage inventory levels effectively amidst a volatile automotive supply chain and shifting global demand for specialty carbon products.
The increase in days sales outstanding and days inventory outstanding suggests that the company may be facing pressure from customers to extend payment terms or is holding excess stock in anticipation of demand that has yet to materialize. This inefficiency in working capital management appears to be a primary driver of the observed volatility in free cash flow margins.
Based on the company's reported figures, Cabot maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a level that has remained relatively stable over the last ten quarters, providing the firm with a healthy balance sheet buffer to navigate the current cyclical downturn without immediate refinancing risks.
The interest coverage ratio of 7.17x in 2026Q2 indicates that the company remains well-positioned to service its debt obligations despite the recent compression in operating margins. This conservative capital structure appears to be a strategic choice, allowing management to continue funding dividends and growth initiatives even during periods of revenue contraction.
Investors frequently misapply standard P/E multiples to Cabot, failing to account for the significant non-cash fluctuations inherent in LIFO inventory accounting and the lumpy nature of environmental remediation costs that often obscure the underlying earning power of the specialty chemicals segment.
A more appropriate metric for evaluating this business would be 'revenue less variable costs' or an adjusted EBITDA that strips out the pass-through of volatile carbon black oil prices. Relying solely on headline P/E ratios risks misinterpreting the company's long-term terminal value, particularly as it pivots toward higher-margin conductive additives for the EV battery market.
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CBT stock.
Cabot Corporation's current P/E ratio is 14.3x. The historical average is 15.3x. This places it at the 48th percentile of its historical range.
Cabot Corporation's current EV/EBITDA is 7.1x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.6x.
Cabot Corporation's return on equity (ROE) is 20.1%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is 11.9%.
Based on historical data, Cabot Corporation is trading at a P/E of 14.3x. This is at the 48th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
Cabot Corporation's current dividend yield is 2.05% with a payout ratio of 29.0%.
Cabot Corporation has 25.3% gross margin and 16.7% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
Cabot Corporation's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 1.6x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.