Cabot Corporation (CBT) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Basic Materials · Chemicals - Specialty
EV/EBITDA
↑
7.42
-6% vs avg
5yr avg: 7.86
30Y Low3.3·High36.1
P/FCF
↓
12.26
↓-40% vs avg
5yr avg: 20.35
30Y Low5.0·High101.3
P/B Ratio
↓
2.92
-4% vs avg
5yr avg: 3.05
30Y Low1.0·High3.9
ROE
↓
20.1%
↑-21% vs avg
5yr avg: 25.6%
30Y Low-24%·High50%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
1.57
↓-23% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.04
30Y Low1.2·High8.4
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
CBT Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Cabot Corporation trades at 15.2x earnings, 13% above its 5-year average of 13.5x, sitting at the 52nd percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Basic Materials sector median P/E of 23.6x, the stock trades at a discount of 35%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 12.3x P/FCF, 40% below the 5-year average of 20.4x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $4.8B | $4.1B | $6.2B | $3.9B | $3.6B | $2.8B | $2.0B | $2.7B | $3.9B | $3.5B | $3.3B |
| Enterprise Value | $5.8B | $5.1B | $7.3B | $5.0B | $5.0B | $3.9B | $3.1B | $3.6B | $4.7B | $4.1B | $4.0B |
| P/E Ratio → | 15.25 | 12.63 | 16.63 | 8.96 | 17.65 | 11.55 | — | 16.97 | — | 14.65 | 22.21 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.29 | 1.11 | 1.56 | 1.00 | 0.84 | 0.84 | 0.78 | 0.80 | 1.19 | 1.29 | 1.37 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.92 | 2.42 | 3.92 | 2.78 | 3.52 | 2.61 | 2.51 | 2.35 | 3.03 | 2.19 | 2.40 |
| P/FCF | 12.26 | 10.54 | 13.80 | 11.15 | — | 45.92 | 11.52 | 19.45 | 55.28 | 18.13 | 12.03 |
| P/OCF | 7.21 | 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
CBT EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Cabot Corporation's enterprise value stands at 7.4x EBITDA, 6% below its 5-year average of 7.9x. The Basic Materials sector median is 11.0x, placing the stock at a 33% discount on an enterprise-value basis.
| 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 | 7.42 | 6.55 | 9.59 | 7.52 | 9.26 | 6.39 | 17.28 | 7.84 | 15.40 | 8.44 | 9.79 |
| EV / EBIT | 9.26 | 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 |
CBT Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Cabot Corporation earns an operating margin of 16.7%, above the Basic Materials sector average of 10.3%. Operating margins have expanded from 13.4% to 16.7% over the past 3 years, signaling improving operational efficiency. ROE of 20.1% indicates solid capital efficiency. ROIC of 17.4% represents solid returns on invested capital.
Margins
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% |
Return on Capital
| 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% |
CBT Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Cabot Corporation carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 1.6x, which is manageable (36% below the sector average of 2.4x). Net debt stands at $957M ($1.2B total debt minus $258M cash). Interest coverage of 8.4x is adequate, though a cyclical earnings downturn could tighten the margin of safety.
| 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 |
CBT Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
A current ratio of 1.61x means Cabot Corporation can comfortably meet its short-term obligations, though there is limited excess liquidity. The quick ratio of 1.08x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory. The current ratio has declined from 1.98x to 1.61x over the past 3 years.
| 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 |
CBT Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Cabot Corporation returns 5.4% to shareholders annually — split between a 1.9% dividend yield and 3.5% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 29.0% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 6.6% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
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 | 1.9% | 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% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 6.6% | 7.9% | 6.0% | 11.2% | 5.7% | 8.7% | — | 5.9% | — | 6.8% | 4.5% |
| FCF Yield | 8.2% | 9.5% | 7.2% | 9.0% | — | 2.2% | 8.7% | 5.1% | 1.8% | 5.5% | 8.3% |
| Buyback Yield | 3.5% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 0.1% | 2.2% | 6.5% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 5.4% | 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 |
Peer Comparison
Compare CBT with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CBTYou | $5B | 15.2 | 7.4 | 12.3 | 25.3% | 16.7% | 20.1% | 17.4% | 1.6 |
 KRO | $787M | -7.1 | 58.0 | — | 11.5% | -2.3% | -14.1% | -2.5% | 25.2 |
 IOSP | $2B | 17.7 | 8.9 | 23.2 | 27.7% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 11.2% | 0.4 |
 HWKN | $3B | 41.3 | 21.6 | 39.1 | 20.6% | 10.6% | 16.4% | 12.3% | 1.6 |
 TROX | $1B | -2.5 | 16.2 | — | 9.3% | -0.7% | -29.0% | -0.3% | 12.8 |
 ASIX | $535M | 11.0 | 6.1 | 83.4 | 11.4% | 4.4% | 6.2% | 4.4% | 2.6 |
 ECVT | $1B | -21.0 | 12.3 | 20.1 | 21.9% | 9.0% | -10.9% | 4.2% | 3.2 |
 PPG | $26B | 17.1 | 11.8 | 22.7 | 38.0% | 13.7% | 92.2% | 23.5% | 2.8 |
 EMN | $8B | 17.7 | 8.9 | 19.6 | 21.1% | 10.6% | 8.0% | 6.7% | 3.5 |
 HUN | $2B | -7.6 | 17.8 | 18.1 | 13.2% | -0.7% | -9.0% | -0.6% | 11.0 |
 RPM | $14B | 20.2 | 15.0 | 25.7 | 41.4% | 12.3% | 25.5% | 13.3% | 2.7 |
| Basic Materials Median | — | 23.6 | 11.0 | 29.0 | 30.9% | 10.3% | -0.0% | 4.6% | 2.4 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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CBT — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CBT stock.
What is Cabot Corporation's P/E ratio?
Cabot Corporation's current P/E ratio is 15.2x. The historical average is 15.3x. This places it at the 52th percentile of its historical range.
What is Cabot Corporation's EV/EBITDA?
Cabot Corporation's current EV/EBITDA is 7.4x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.6x.
What is Cabot Corporation's ROE?
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%.
Is CBT stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Cabot Corporation is trading at a P/E of 15.2x. This is at the 52th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is Cabot Corporation's dividend yield?
Cabot Corporation's current dividend yield is 1.93% with a payout ratio of 29.0%.
What are Cabot Corporation's profit margins?
Cabot Corporation has 25.3% gross margin and 16.7% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
How much debt does Cabot Corporation have?
Cabot Corporation's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 1.6x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.