Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 61.2x · EV/EBITDA 14.7x · ROE 4.3%. (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 | $442M | $293M | $297M | $242M | $104M | $148M | $161M | $206M | $165M | $285M | $140M |
| Enterprise Value | $505M | $356M | $356M | $306M | $207M | $181M | $212M | $259M | $229M | $377M | $269M |
| P/E Ratio → | 61.23 | 39.06 | 6.92 | 169.15 | — | 40.44 | 21.20 | 4.74 | — | 69.62 | — |
| P/S Ratio | 0.82 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.44 | 0.21 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.26 | 0.53 | 0.29 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.61 | 1.67 | 1.66 | 1.69 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.91 | 1.21 | 1.35 | 1.94 | 1.05 |
| P/FCF | 17.54 | 11.64 | 23.14 | 7.45 | — | — | 20.75 | 10.08 | 7.95 | 8.57 | 13.01 |
| P/OCF | 12.41 | 8.23 | 13.13 | 6.54 | — | — | 9.49 | 7.04 | 6.35 | 7.23 | 7.59 |
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 | — | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.56 | 0.42 | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.37 | 0.70 | 0.56 |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.69 | 10.37 | 10.30 | 12.57 | 27.32 | 9.86 | 7.24 | 5.40 | — | 10.59 | 14.70 |
| EV / EBIT | 23.05 | 15.96 | 18.34 | 47.34 | — | 23.99 | 11.92 | 8.71 | — | 20.80 | — |
| EV / FCF | — | 14.13 | 27.75 | 9.44 | — | — | 27.34 | 12.67 | 11.08 | 11.34 | 25.04 |
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 | 21.1% | 21.1% | 22.2% | 20.6% | 18.0% | 16.8% | 19.1% | 19.6% | 18.7% | 19.2% | 18.7% |
| Operating Margin | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 1.7% | -1.4% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 5.4% | -3.3% | 2.9% | -1.1% |
| Net Profit Margin | 1.4% | 1.4% | 8.1% | 0.3% | -9.2% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 6.9% | -5.0% | 0.8% | -29.3% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 4.3% | 4.3% | 26.7% | 1.0% | -28.4% | 2.0% | 4.4% | 29.2% | -23.2% | 2.9% | -68.1% |
| ROA | 2.3% | 2.3% | 13.3% | 0.4% | -12.9% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 10.8% | -8.0% | 1.0% | -29.5% |
| ROIC | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.0% | -2.4% | 1.5% | 5.2% | 12.3% | -7.2% | 4.7% | -1.1% |
| ROCE | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.8% | 3.8% | -2.8% | 1.7% | 5.5% | 12.3% | -7.3% | 5.1% | -1.3% |
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 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.47 | 0.77 | 0.24 | 0.33 | 0.40 | 0.61 | 0.89 | 1.20 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.95 | 1.95 | 1.78 | 2.75 | 14.00 | 2.37 | 2.00 | 1.40 | — | 3.65 | 8.72 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.45 | 0.75 | 0.18 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.53 | 0.63 | 0.97 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.83 | 1.83 | 1.71 | 2.65 | 13.62 | 1.81 | 1.75 | 1.10 | — | 2.59 | 7.06 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 2.49 | 4.61 | 1.99 | — | — | 6.59 | 2.59 | 3.12 | 2.78 | 12.03 |
| Interest Coverage | 4.56 | 4.56 | 3.89 | 1.17 | -1.69 | 2.55 | 4.72 | 6.06 | -3.33 | 2.16 | -21.47 |
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 | 1.87 | 1.87 | 1.83 | 1.77 | 2.00 | 2.08 | 2.05 | 1.86 | 1.83 | 2.36 | 2.42 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.15 | 1.15 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 1.26 | 1.35 | 1.22 | 1.16 | 0.82 | 1.32 | 1.41 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.40 | 0.37 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.63 | 1.59 | 1.74 | 1.36 | 1.50 | 1.34 | 1.52 | 1.64 | 1.35 | 1.23 |
| Inventory Turnover | 7.08 | 7.08 | 5.85 | 5.90 | 5.39 | 6.80 | 5.12 | 6.08 | 4.09 | 4.44 | 4.72 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 54.45 | 56.18 | 55.70 | 85.16 | 65.44 | 70.55 | 65.52 | 50.14 | 52.11 | 50.30 |
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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.9% |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 1.6% | 2.6% | 14.5% | 0.6% | — | 2.5% | 4.7% | 21.1% | — | 1.4% | — |
| FCF Yield | 5.7% | 8.6% | 4.3% | 13.4% | — | — | 4.8% | 9.9% | 12.6% | 11.7% | 7.7% |
| Buyback Yield | 3.7% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 3.7% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $10M | $10M | $10M |
Cyclical Margin Volatility
Based on current market data, FSTR trades at a forward P/E of 25.73, which appears to price in a significant recovery in earnings power that remains unsupported by the company's historical net margin performance of approximately 1.40% reported in recent quarterly filings.
The valuation premium relative to the company's low historical profitability suggests investors are betting on a successful pivot toward higher-margin technology services. However, the current EV/EBITDA multiple of 15.46 indicates the market is still struggling to distinguish between FSTR's legacy commodity-exposed segments and its higher-value rail technology offerings.
As reported in financial statements, FSTR's ROIC has struggled to consistently exceed 2.4% over the last ten quarters, indicating that the company is failing to generate returns on invested capital that meaningfully surpass its cost of capital in the current industrial environment.
The persistent low ROIC reflects the drag of capital-intensive, low-margin steel and precast operations that continue to dominate the asset base. Investors should monitor whether the recent divestiture of non-core assets can drive a structural improvement in capital efficiency, as current levels suggest significant value destruction.
According to recent SEC filings, FSTR's cash conversion cycle has remained elevated, peaking at 108 days in 2025Q1, which highlights the company's ongoing struggle to efficiently manage inventory and receivables within its project-based industrial business model compared to more agile peers.
The high DIO and DSO figures suggest that the company is frequently forced to carry significant inventory and wait extended periods for project payments, which ties up cash and limits operational flexibility. This inefficiency is a structural headwind that prevents the company from achieving the cash flow stability required for consistent reinvestment.
Based on reported figures, FSTR maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48 as of 2026Q1, which provides a healthy balance sheet cushion that allows the company to navigate cyclical downturns in the North American rail and infrastructure markets without immediate refinancing risk.
While the low leverage is a positive, the interest coverage ratio of 2.40 in 2026Q1 warrants caution, as it indicates that even modest declines in operating income could quickly pressure the company's ability to service its debt. The balance sheet is currently a source of stability rather than a catalyst for aggressive growth.
The P/E ratio is the most commonly misapplied metric for FSTR, as it obscures the company's true earnings power by failing to account for the significant non-recurring charges and cyclical volatility inherent in its project-based industrial and rail infrastructure business model.
Investors should instead focus on EV/EBITDA or normalized free cash flow, which better capture the underlying operational performance by stripping out the noise of accounting adjustments and commodity price swings. Relying on P/E leads to a distorted view of valuation that ignores the company's ongoing transition toward a more service-oriented revenue mix.
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying FSTR stock.
L.B. Foster Company's current P/E ratio is 61.2x. The historical average is 30.1x. This places it at the 84th percentile of its historical range.
L.B. Foster Company's current EV/EBITDA is 14.7x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.8x.
L.B. Foster Company's return on equity (ROE) is 4.3%. The historical average is 3.6%.
Based on historical data, L.B. Foster Company is trading at a P/E of 61.2x. This is at the 84th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
L.B. Foster Company has 21.1% gross margin and 4.1% operating margin.
L.B. Foster Company's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 2.0x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.