Operating margins have demonstrated high sensitivity to scale, fluctuating between a low of 7.3% in 2024Q3 and a peak of 22.2% in 2026Q1.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Sales/Revenue | 201.2M | 191.1M | 219.89M | 213.23M | 187.31M | 155.19M | 148.13M | 162.68M | 152M | 137.49M | 126.07M | 122.08M | 119.67M | 118.15M | 117.07M | 113.06M | 105.19M | 95.02M | 97.31M | 97.55M | 89.87M | 76.9M | 69.94M | 66.45M | 57.37M | 55.55M | 52.99M | 47.9M | 48.2M | 46.8M | 45.6M |
| Revenue Growth % | -3.14% | -13.1% | 3.13% | 13.84% | 20.7% | 4.77% | -8.94% | 7.02% | 10.56% | 9.06% | 3.27% | 2.02% | 1.28% | 0.92% | 3.55% | 7.48% | 10.7% | -2.35% | -0.24% | 8.54% | 16.87% | 9.96% | 5.25% | 15.82% | 3.28% | 4.83% | 10.63% | -0.62% | 2.99% | 2.63% | -1.94% |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 15.63M | 0 | 32.23M | 26.09M | 12.88M | 11.52M | 24.9M | 14.77M | 12.53M | 10.29M | 9.34M | 8.94M | 8.65M | 8.62M | 8.21M | 8.5M | 9.14M | 9.85M | 8.53M | 12.77M | 10.95M | 6.63M | 6.9M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| COGS % of Revenue | - | - | 14.66% | 12.23% | 6.88% | 7.42% | 16.81% | 9.08% | 8.24% | 7.49% | 7.4% | 7.33% | 7.23% | 7.3% | 7.01% | 7.52% | 8.69% | 10.37% | 8.76% | 13.09% | 12.18% | 8.62% | 9.87% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gross Profit | 185.57M | 191.1M | 187.66M | 187.14M | 174.42M | 143.67M | 123.23M | 147.91M | 139.47M | 127.19M | 116.73M | 113.14M | 111.01M | 109.53M | 108.86M | 104.56M | 96.06M | 85.17M | 88.78M | 84.78M | 78.92M | 70.28M | 63.03M | 66.45M | 57.37M | 55.55M | 52.99M | 47.9M | 48.2M | 46.8M | 45.6M |
| Gross Margin % | 92.23% | 100% | 85.34% | 87.77% | 93.12% | 92.58% | 83.19% | 90.92% | 91.76% | 92.51% | 92.6% | 92.67% | 92.77% | 92.7% | 92.99% | 92.48% | 91.31% | 89.63% | 91.24% | 86.91% | 87.82% | 91.38% | 90.13% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Gross Profit Growth % | - | 1.83% | 0.28% | 7.29% | 21.4% | 16.59% | -16.68% | 6.05% | 9.65% | 8.96% | 3.18% | 1.91% | 1.36% | 0.61% | 4.11% | 8.86% | 12.78% | -4.07% | 4.72% | 7.42% | 12.31% | 11.49% | -5.14% | 15.82% | 3.28% | 4.83% | 10.63% | -0.62% | 2.99% | 2.63% | -1.94% |
| Operating Expenses | 146.8M | 152.34M | 163.44M | 149.67M | 131.52M | 109.85M | 92.89M | 110.44M | 103.13M | 92.3M | 84.67M | 83.5M | 79.22M | 78.79M | 77.67M | 73.06M | 68.12M | 63.63M | 62.62M | 58.84M | 55.1M | 0 | 0 | -53.23M | -44.8M | -40.92M | -36.8M | -33.9M | -32.3M | -31.9M | -31.4M |
| OpEx % of Revenue | - | 79.72% | 74.33% | 70.19% | 70.22% | 70.79% | 62.71% | 67.89% | 67.85% | 67.13% | 67.16% | 68.4% | 66.2% | 66.69% | 66.34% | 64.62% | 64.76% | 66.97% | 64.35% | 60.32% | 61.3% | - | - | -80.11% | -78.09% | -73.65% | -69.44% | -70.77% | -67.01% | -68.16% | -68.86% |
| Selling, General & Admin | 35.49M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.15M | 31.41M | 30.47M | 28.5M | 26M | 25M | 24M | 23.9M |
| SG&A % of Revenue | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 55.91% | 54.74% | 54.85% | 53.78% | 54.28% | 51.87% | 51.28% | 52.41% |
| Research & Development | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R&D % of Revenue | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0% | 0% | 0% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Operating Expenses | 4M | 152.34M | 163.44M | 149.67M | 131.52M | 109.85M | 92.89M | 110.44M | 103.13M | 92.3M | 84.67M | 83.5M | 79.22M | 78.79M | 77.67M | 73.06M | 68.12M | 63.63M | 62.62M | 58.84M | 55.1M | 0 | 0 | -90.39M | -76.21M | -71.39M | -65.3M | -59.9M | -57.3M | -55.9M | -55.3M |
| Operating Income | 38.77M | 38.76M | 24.22M | 37.47M | 42.9M | 33.82M | 30.34M | 37.47M | 36.35M | 34.9M | 32.06M | 29.63M | 31.79M | 30.73M | 31.19M | 31.51M | 27.93M | 21.53M | 26.17M | 25.94M | 23.83M | 19.33M | 11.34M | 13.22M | 12.57M | 14.64M | 16.19M | 14M | 15.9M | 14.9M | 14.2M |
| Operating Margin % | 19.27% | 20.28% | 11.01% | 17.57% | 22.9% | 21.79% | 20.48% | 23.03% | 23.91% | 25.38% | 25.43% | 24.27% | 26.57% | 26.01% | 26.64% | 27.87% | 26.55% | 22.66% | 26.89% | 26.6% | 26.51% | 25.13% | 16.21% | 19.89% | 21.91% | 26.35% | 30.56% | 29.23% | 32.99% | 31.84% | 31.14% |
| Operating Income Growth % | - | 60.03% | -35.37% | -12.65% | 26.84% | 11.46% | -19.01% | 3.08% | 4.15% | 8.84% | 8.2% | -6.79% | 3.45% | -1.47% | -1% | 12.79% | 29.72% | -17.7% | 0.86% | 8.88% | 23.29% | 70.45% | -14.21% | 5.12% | -14.1% | -9.62% | 15.66% | -11.95% | 6.71% | 4.93% | 5.97% |
| EBITDA | 44.56M | 45.96M | 30.21M | 42.44M | 47.6M | 38.99M | 41.61M | 42.26M | 40.74M | 38.95M | 35.72M | 33.05M | 34.89M | 33.63M | 33.72M | 33.57M | 30.06M | 24M | 28.84M | 28.46M | 26.1M | 21.47M | 15.22M | 17.85M | 16.57M | 17.99M | 18.84M | 16.5M | 18.3M | 17.5M | 16.9M |
| EBITDA Margin % | 22.15% | 24.05% | 13.74% | 19.9% | 25.41% | 25.13% | 28.09% | 25.98% | 26.8% | 28.33% | 28.33% | 27.07% | 29.15% | 28.46% | 28.8% | 29.69% | 28.58% | 25.26% | 29.64% | 29.18% | 29.04% | 27.92% | 21.76% | 26.87% | 28.88% | 32.39% | 35.56% | 34.45% | 37.97% | 37.39% | 37.06% |
| EBITDA Growth % | 38.42% | 52.15% | -28.83% | -10.84% | 22.08% | -6.29% | -1.52% | 3.71% | 4.6% | 9.06% | 8.07% | -5.27% | 3.75% | -0.28% | 0.46% | 11.66% | 25.27% | -16.78% | 1.32% | 9.07% | 21.55% | 41.08% | -14.76% | 7.73% | -7.89% | -4.53% | 14.21% | -9.84% | 4.57% | 3.55% | 5.63% |
| D&A (Non-Cash Add-back) | 5.8M | 7.2M | 5.99M | 4.97M | 4.7M | 5.17M | 11.27M | 4.79M | 4.4M | 4.05M | 3.65M | 3.42M | 3.1M | 2.9M | 2.53M | 2.06M | 2.13M | 2.46M | 2.67M | 2.52M | 2.27M | 2.14M | 3.88M | 4.64M | 4M | 3.36M | 2.65M | 2.5M | 2.4M | 2.6M | 2.7M |
| EBIT | 42.65M | 38.76M | 24.22M | 37.47M | 42.9M | 33.82M | 30.34M | 37.47M | 36.35M | 34.9M | 32.06M | 31.03M | 31.79M | 30.73M | 31.19M | 31.51M | 27.93M | 21.66M | 26.36M | 26.18M | 24.03M | 19.33M | 11.34M | -4.64M | -4M | -3.36M | -2.65M | -2.5M | -2.4M | -2.6M | -2.7M |
| Net Interest Income | 91.5M | 81.24M | 88.04M | 82.64M | 62.33M | 45.5M | 47.69M | 52.61M | 47.93M | 41.98M | 39.93M | 38.71M | 39.76M | 41.58M | 45.93M | 50.23M | 49.05M | 43.66M | 43.94M | 49.11M | 46.85M | 0 | 0 | 26.38M | 29.34M | 32.31M | 31.88M | 26.5M | 25.8M | 25M | 23.5M |
| Interest Income | 95.39M | 81.24M | 88.05M | 82.76M | 62.33M | 45.5M | 47.69M | 52.61M | 47.93M | 41.98M | 39.93M | 38.71M | 39.76M | 41.58M | 45.93M | 50.23M | 49.05M | 43.78M | 44.14M | 49.35M | 47.05M | 0 | 0 | 28.24M | 31.62M | 36.18M | 37.06M | 30.9M | 30.1M | 29.3M | 28.1M |
| Interest Expense | 3.89M | 0 | 1K | 116K | 0 | 0 | 2K | 2K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129K | 199K | 236K | 205K | 0 | 0 | 1.86M | 2.27M | 3.87M | 5.18M | 4.4M | 4.3M | 4.3M | 4.6M |
| Other Income/Expense | 0 | 0 | -1K | -116K | 0 | 0 | -2K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.1M | -71K | -1.86M | -2.27M | -3.87M | -5.18M | -4.4M | -4.3M | -4.3M | -4.6M |
| Pretax Income | 38.77M | 38.76M | 24.22M | 37.36M | 42.9M | 33.82M | 30.34M | 37.47M | 36.35M | 34.9M | 32.06M | 31.03M | 31.79M | 30.73M | 31.19M | 31.51M | 27.93M | 21.53M | 26.17M | 25.94M | 23.83M | 16.23M | 11.27M | 11.36M | 10.3M | 10.76M | 11.01M | 9.6M | 11.6M | 10.6M | 9.6M |
| Pretax Margin % | 19.27% | 20.28% | 11.01% | 17.52% | 22.9% | 21.79% | 20.48% | 23.03% | 23.91% | 25.38% | 25.43% | 25.42% | 26.57% | 26.01% | 26.64% | 27.87% | 26.55% | 22.66% | 26.89% | 26.6% | 26.51% | 21.1% | 16.11% | 17.09% | 17.95% | 19.38% | 20.77% | 20.04% | 24.07% | 22.65% | 21.05% |
| Income Tax | 7.46M | 7.65M | 5.05M | 7.3M | 8M | 5.22M | 5.17M | 7.06M | 6.08M | 9.88M | 7.72M | 7.98M | 7.76M | 7.23M | 7.89M | 8.5M | 7.62M | 5.41M | 7.16M | 8.15M | 8.37M | 4.98M | 3.26M | 3.45M | 2.99M | 3.74M | 3.86M | 3.4M | 4.2M | 3.6M | 3.1M |
| Effective Tax Rate % | 19.26% | 19.73% | 20.86% | 19.53% | 18.64% | 15.43% | 17.02% | 18.85% | 16.72% | 28.32% | 24.06% | 25.71% | 24.41% | 23.54% | 25.29% | 26.97% | 27.29% | 25.1% | 27.36% | 31.41% | 35.11% | 30.7% | 28.95% | 30.41% | 29% | 34.74% | 35.07% | 35.42% | 36.21% | 33.96% | 32.29% |
| Net Income | 34.98M | 35.12M | 19.17M | 30.06M | 34.9M | 28.6M | 25.18M | 30.4M | 30.27M | 25.01M | 24.35M | 23.06M | 24.03M | 23.5M | 23.3M | 23.01M | 20.31M | 16.13M | 19.01M | 17.8M | 15.07M | 10.95M | 8.01M | 7.9M | 7.31M | 7.03M | 7.15M | 6.2M | 7.4M | 7M | 6.5M |
| Net Margin % | 17.39% | 18.38% | 8.72% | 14.1% | 18.63% | 18.43% | 17% | 18.69% | 19.91% | 18.19% | 19.31% | 18.89% | 20.08% | 19.89% | 19.91% | 20.35% | 19.31% | 16.97% | 19.53% | 18.24% | 16.76% | 14.23% | 11.45% | 11.89% | 12.74% | 12.65% | 13.49% | 12.94% | 15.35% | 14.96% | 14.25% |
| Net Income Growth % | 66.72% | 83.2% | -36.23% | -13.88% | 22.02% | 13.62% | -17.2% | 0.45% | 21% | 2.74% | 5.6% | -4.07% | 2.28% | 0.83% | 1.28% | 13.29% | 25.92% | -15.14% | 6.81% | 18.11% | 37.64% | 36.74% | 1.3% | 8.07% | 4.09% | -1.71% | 15.27% | -16.22% | 5.71% | 7.69% | 4.84% |
| Net Income (Continuing) | 31.3M | 31.11M | 19.17M | 30.06M | 34.9M | 28.6M | 25.18M | 30.4M | 30.27M | 25.01M | 24.35M | 23.06M | 24.03M | 23.5M | 23.3M | 23.01M | 20.31M | 16.13M | 19.01M | 17.8M | 15.46M | 11.24M | 8.01M | 7.9M | 7.31M | 7.03M | 7.15M | 6.2M | 7.4M | 7M | 6.5M |
| Discontinued Operations | 93K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minority Interest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EPS (Diluted) | 2.65 | 2.61 | 1.39 | 2.18 | 2.53 | 2.00 | 1.73 | 2.07 | 2.03 | 1.68 | 1.63 | 1.52 | 1.56 | 1.53 | 1.53 | 1.52 | 1.35 | 1.08 | 1.27 | 1.19 | 1.01 | 0.73 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.50 | 0.47 | 0.44 | 0.35 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.37 |
| EPS Growth % | 74.17% | 87.77% | -36.24% | -13.83% | 26.5% | 15.61% | -16.43% | 1.97% | 20.83% | 3.07% | 7.24% | -2.56% | 1.96% | 0% | 0.66% | 12.59% | 25% | -14.96% | 6.72% | 17.82% | 38.36% | 35.19% | 0% | 8% | 6.38% | 6.82% | 25.71% | -14.63% | 5.13% | 5.41% | 5.71% |
| EPS (Basic) | - | 2.66 | 1.42 | 2.22 | 2.58 | 2.03 | 1.75 | 2.11 | 2.06 | 1.70 | 1.65 | 1.54 | 1.58 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.54 | 1.36 | 1.10 | 1.30 | 1.22 | 1.03 | 0.76 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 0.50 | 0.48 | 0.45 | 0.36 | 0.42 | 0.40 | 0.37 |
| Diluted Shares Outstanding | 13.18M | 13.46M | 13.78M | 13.82M | 13.81M | 14.33M | 14.57M | 14.69M | 14.91M | 14.92M | 14.93M | 15.22M | 15.4M | 15.35M | 15.23M | 15.12M | 15.09M | 14.89M | 15.06M | 14.96M | 14.95M | 14.91M | 18.21M | 14.68M | 14.71M | 14.93M | 16.12M | 17.57M | 17.94M | 17.86M | 17.88M |
| Basic Shares Outstanding | 12.8M | 13.18M | 13.5M | 13.79M | 13.55M | 14.3M | 14.39M | 14.43M | 14.68M | 14.7M | 14.72M | 14.99M | 15.18M | 15.13M | 15M | 14.98M | 14.88M | 14.64M | 14.61M | 14.58M | 14.58M | 14.46M | 17.96M | 14.54M | 14.62M | 14.74M | 15.92M | 17.31M | 17.63M | 17.56M | 17.77M |
| Dividend Payout Ratio | - | 47.02% | 85.89% | 53.09% | 44.24% | 54% | 61.96% | 50.11% | 43.53% | 42.68% | 40.98% | 42.06% | 38.85% | 36.22% | 31.59% | 27.29% | 26.82% | 30.54% | 23.67% | 23.14% | 24.33% | 29.27% | 37.84% | 35.61% | 35.97% | 36.71% | 38.95% | 46.77% | 37.84% | 35.71% | 35.38% |
Cyclical freight volume sensitivity
As reported in recent financial statements, Cass Information Systems has experienced a contraction in top-line performance, with revenue growth trending negatively over the last several quarters, including a 4.5% year-over-year decline in 2026Q1, reflecting broader challenges within the industrial freight and payment processing sectors.
The recent revenue contraction appears to be driven by a combination of softening freight transaction volumes and a normalization of interest income from the company's float. Investors should monitor whether this trend represents a structural loss of market share or a temporary cyclical trough tied to domestic manufacturing activity.
Based on the provided income statement data, Cass has maintained operating margins that fluctuate between 7.3% and 22.2%, suggesting that the company's profitability is highly sensitive to transaction volume throughput and the effective management of its fixed-cost base during periods of revenue volatility.
The variability in operating margins indicates that Cass lacks the aggressive operating leverage typically seen in pure-play software firms, likely due to the human-capital-intensive nature of its freight audit services. The recent expansion to 22.2% in 2026Q1 suggests a potential improvement in expense discipline, though this remains vulnerable to future volume declines.
According to historical income statement filings, Cass operates with a significant fixed-cost structure, as evidenced by the substantial SG&A expenses that often consume a large portion of gross profit, leaving the company with limited room to maneuver during periods of declining transaction volumes.
The reliance on personnel for complex audit functions creates a rigid cost floor that prevents rapid margin expansion when revenue growth stalls. Management's ability to automate these processes will be the primary determinant of whether the company can decouple its cost growth from its revenue trajectory in the long term.
As indicated by the quarterly data, EPS has shown significant volatility, ranging from $0.21 to $0.68, which appears to be driven by fluctuations in operating income and non-operating items rather than consistent operational growth, warranting caution when evaluating the company's true earnings power.
The inconsistency in EPS growth, highlighted by a 61.1% decline in 2024Q3 followed by a sharp recovery, suggests that investors should focus on normalized operating cash flows rather than headline net income. The presence of stock-based compensation, while relatively modest, adds a layer of dilution that should be factored into long-term valuation models.
While the company benefits from a unique bank-integrated model, the potential for sustained interest rate compression or a shift in client deposit behavior poses a significant risk to the net interest margin, which has historically served as a critical, albeit volatile, profit driver for the firm.
Short-sellers may focus on the company's reliance on interest-equivalent revenue, which may be masking underlying weakness in the core freight payment business. If the 'stickiness' of client deposits is overstated, any significant migration of funds could lead to a rapid deterioration in the company's profitability profile.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CASS stock.
For fiscal year 2025, Cass Information Systems, Inc. (CASS) reported total revenue of $191.1M. This represents a 319.1% increase compared to $45.6M in 1996.
Cass Information Systems, Inc. (CASS) is profitable, generating $35.1M in net income for the fiscal year ending 2025 with a net profit margin of 18.4%.
Cass Information Systems, Inc. (CASS) reported an operating income of $38.8M, resulting in an operating profit margin of 20.3%. This margin reflects the operational efficiency of the business before interest and taxes.
Cass Information Systems, Inc. (CASS) generated $191.1M in gross profit for the year, representing a gross profit margin of 100.0%. This demonstrates the company's core pricing power and production efficiency.