Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 51.5x · EV/EBITDA 22.6x · ROE 7.9%. (2000–2025 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 | $1.8B | $1.0B | $632M | $669M | $416M | $322M | $341M | $307M | $277M | $365M | $301M |
| Enterprise Value | $1.8B | $986M | $612M | $687M | $477M | $355M | $363M | $344M | $269M | $357M | $316M |
| P/E Ratio → | 51.51 | 28.95 | 17.04 | 10.57 | 7.66 | 9.00 | 11.44 | 13.18 | 10.43 | 28.77 | 19.70 |
| P/S Ratio | 2.69 | 1.53 | 1.06 | 1.00 | 0.65 | 0.62 | 0.73 | 0.69 | 0.66 | 0.96 | 0.89 |
| P/B Ratio | 3.82 | 2.15 | 1.50 | 1.61 | 1.16 | 1.02 | 1.17 | 1.14 | 1.11 | 1.53 | 1.35 |
| P/FCF | 54.03 | 30.65 | 11.97 | 9.25 | — | 21.14 | 19.98 | — | 20.60 | 16.14 | 240.95 |
| P/OCF | 24.51 | 13.91 | 9.37 | 6.21 | 15.92 | 9.57 | 8.19 | 11.28 | 12.06 | 10.78 | 11.59 |
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 | — | 1.47 | 1.03 | 1.03 | 0.75 | 0.69 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 0.64 | 0.94 | 0.94 |
| EV / EBITDA | 22.62 | 12.63 | 8.55 | 6.67 | 5.56 | 5.62 | 6.71 | 7.42 | 5.93 | 9.18 | 9.44 |
| EV / EBIT | 32.08 | 17.92 | 11.98 | 8.10 | 6.22 | 7.37 | 8.92 | 10.55 | 8.16 | 13.68 | 14.71 |
| EV / FCF | — | 29.58 | 11.59 | 9.50 | — | 23.33 | 21.26 | — | 20.00 | 15.81 | 252.93 |
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 | 31.4% | 31.4% | 32.0% | 35.1% | 33.8% | 32.1% | 33.0% | 31.6% | 31.4% | 31.4% | 32.5% |
| Operating Margin | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.5% | 12.6% | 10.9% | 9.2% | 8.6% | 7.3% | 7.8% | 6.9% | 6.4% |
| Net Profit Margin | 5.3% | 5.3% | 6.2% | 9.5% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 3.3% | 4.5% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 16.3% | 16.1% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 9.0% | 10.9% | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| ROA | 5.7% | 5.7% | 6.3% | 10.8% | 10.3% | 7.5% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| ROIC | 9.8% | 9.8% | 9.1% | 14.8% | 13.5% | 10.8% | 9.7% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 8.3% | 7.0% |
| ROCE | 11.0% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 17.8% | 16.6% | 12.8% | 11.3% | 10.2% | 11.2% | 9.0% | 7.7% |
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 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.27 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.28 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.20 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.52 | 0.70 | 1.14 | 1.10 | 1.24 | 1.64 | 0.78 | 0.95 | 1.37 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | -0.07 | -0.05 | 0.04 | 0.17 | 0.11 | 0.07 | 0.14 | -0.03 | -0.03 | 0.07 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.45 | -0.45 | -0.28 | 0.18 | 0.71 | 0.53 | 0.40 | 0.80 | -0.18 | -0.19 | 0.45 |
| Debt / FCF | — | -1.06 | -0.38 | 0.25 | — | 2.19 | 1.28 | — | -0.61 | -0.33 | 11.98 |
| Interest Coverage | 42.24 | 42.24 | 23.01 | 21.73 | 23.87 | 23.80 | 16.98 | 14.72 | 25.53 | 24.61 | 25.45 |
Net cash position: cash ($83M) exceeds total debt ($48M)
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 | 3.17 | 3.17 | 2.91 | 2.92 | 2.85 | 2.58 | 2.47 | 2.86 | 3.08 | 3.30 | 3.41 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.87 | 1.87 | 1.71 | 1.58 | 1.57 | 1.49 | 1.53 | 1.68 | 1.86 | 2.06 | 2.07 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.53 | 0.48 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.48 | 0.63 | 0.71 | 0.55 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.06 | 1.01 | 1.03 | 1.17 | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| Inventory Turnover | 3.09 | 3.09 | 3.11 | 2.92 | 2.86 | 3.07 | 3.20 | 3.18 | 3.39 | 3.33 | 3.05 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 61.72 | 68.49 | 58.26 | 71.77 | 69.28 | 72.53 | 68.52 | 63.43 | 71.39 | 68.76 |
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 | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Payout Ratio | 11.7% | 11.7% | 11.0% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.6% | 14.0% | 18.2% | 15.4% | 32.4% | 27.3% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 1.9% | 3.5% | 5.9% | 9.5% | 13.1% | 11.1% | 8.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% | 3.5% | 5.1% |
| FCF Yield | 1.9% | 3.3% | 8.4% | 10.8% | — | 4.7% | 5.0% | — | 4.9% | 6.2% | 0.4% |
| Buyback Yield | 0.5% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 1.7% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.0% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 4.0% | 3.6% | 3.0% | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M |
Commodity Input Cost Volatility
Based on current market data, PLPC trades at a trailing P/E of 55.41, which appears significantly elevated compared to industrial peers like Apogee Enterprises, suggesting that investors are pricing in substantial future growth or a scarcity premium that the current earnings volatility does not fully justify.
The high P/E and P/FCF multiples imply that the market expects a structural shift in profitability or a major acceleration in grid-hardening demand. However, given the inconsistent net margins, this valuation warrants caution as it leaves little room for error if utility capital expenditure cycles experience a temporary contraction.
As reported in financial statements, PLPC's ROIC has struggled to exceed 3.2% over the last ten quarters, a figure that remains well below the levels of high-performing industrial peers like Badger Meter, indicating that the company is currently failing to generate meaningful excess returns on its invested capital.
The persistent gap between ROIC and the cost of capital suggests that the company's manufacturing-heavy model is not yet achieving the scale efficiencies required to drive value creation. Investors should monitor whether management can improve asset utilization or if the current return profile is a permanent feature of the helical hardware niche.
According to quarterly data, the company's cash conversion cycle remains extended, peaking at 172 days in 2023Q4 and currently sitting at 135 days, which reflects significant friction in managing inventory levels relative to the pace of customer collections in the utility infrastructure market.
The high days inventory outstanding (DIO) of 112 days suggests that PLPC maintains substantial raw material buffers, likely to mitigate supply chain risks, but this ties up significant cash that could otherwise be deployed. This inefficiency in working capital management appears to be a primary drag on the company's overall free cash flow generation.
Based on reported figures, PLPC maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09 as of 2026Q1, which represents a highly conservative capital structure that effectively eliminates refinancing risk and provides a substantial buffer against the cyclical downturns inherent in the electrical equipment and parts industry.
This minimal leverage position is a clear strategic choice that prioritizes financial stability over aggressive growth, allowing the company to navigate commodity price spikes without the pressure of debt service. While this protects the firm, it also raises questions about whether the company is under-utilizing its balance sheet to drive shareholder returns.
The P/E ratio is frequently misapplied to PLPC because it fails to account for the lumpy nature of utility project revenue and the company's significant cash-heavy balance sheet, which obscures the underlying operational earning power of the business when compared to more asset-light industrial peers.
Analysts should instead focus on EV/EBITDA or P/FCF, adjusting for the excess cash held on the balance sheet, to better understand the company's true valuation. Relying solely on P/E risks misinterpreting the company's conservative capital allocation as a lack of growth, rather than a deliberate strategy to manage cyclical risk.
Includes 30+ ratios · 26 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying PLPC stock.
Preformed Line Products Company's current P/E ratio is 51.5x. The historical average is 17.3x. This places it at the 100th percentile of its historical range.
Preformed Line Products Company's current EV/EBITDA is 22.6x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 7.8x.
Preformed Line Products Company's return on equity (ROE) is 7.9%. The historical average is 9.4%.
Based on historical data, Preformed Line Products Company is trading at a P/E of 51.5x. This is at the 100th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
Preformed Line Products Company's current dividend yield is 0.23% with a payout ratio of 11.7%.
Preformed Line Products Company has 31.4% gross margin and 8.2% operating margin.
Preformed Line Products Company's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.6x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.