Century Aluminum Company (CENX) Financial Ratios
29 years of historical data (1996–2024) · Basic Materials · Aluminum
EV/EBITDA
↓
31.00
↓-77% vs avg
5yr avg: 134.18
30Y Low3.1·High86.3
P/FCF
↑
N/A
—
5yr avg: 69.64
30Y Low4.3·High137.3
P/B Ratio
↑
9.25
↑+250% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.64
30Y Low0.4·High11.2
ROE
↑
66.9%
↓+11715% vs avg
5yr avg: -0.6%
30Y Low-118%·High67%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
2.56
↓-93% vs avg
5yr avg: 36.57
30Y Low0.5·High28.1
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
CENX Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Century Aluminum Company trades at 18.9x earnings, 242% above its 5-year average of 5.5x, sitting at the 30th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Basic Materials sector median P/E of 22.3x, the stock trades at a discount of 15%.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $5.8B | $1.8B | $1.1B | $748M | $1.5B | $987M | $667M | $640M | $1.7B | $745M | $386M |
| Enterprise Value | $6.3B | $2.3B | $1.5B | $1.2B | $1.9B | $1.2B | $932M | $881M | $1.8B | $868M | $526M |
| P/E Ratio → | 18.93 | 5.54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38.51 | — | — |
| P/S Ratio | 2.62 | 0.81 | 0.51 | 0.27 | 0.68 | 0.62 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 1.09 | 0.56 | 0.20 |
| P/B Ratio | 9.25 | 2.71 | 3.26 | 1.87 | 3.55 | 1.81 | 0.99 | 0.84 | 2.08 | 0.98 | 0.38 |
| P/FCF | — | — | 105.82 | — | — | 33.46 | — | — | 108.25 | 45.92 | — |
| P/OCF | — | — | 10.62 | 28.87 | — | 23.01 | 37.70 | — | 45.60 | 19.52 | 12.12 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
CENX EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Century Aluminum Company's enterprise value stands at 31.0x EBITDA, 77% below its 5-year average of 134.2x. The Basic Materials sector median is 11.0x, placing the stock at a 182% premium on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 1.03 | 0.69 | 0.45 | 0.88 | 0.78 | 0.51 | 0.47 | 1.14 | 0.66 | 0.27 |
| EV / EBITDA | 31.00 | 11.22 | 14.15 | — | 13.05 | 498.31 | 86.32 | 28.33 | 10.21 | — | 12.82 |
| EV / EBIT | 51.89 | 6.21 | — | 19.81 | — | — | — | — | 21.53 | — | — |
| EV / FCF | — | — | 142.14 | — | — | 42.23 | — | — | 113.81 | 53.51 | — |
CENX Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Century Aluminum Company earns an operating margin of 5.5%, below the Basic Materials sector average of 9.2%. Operating margins have expanded from -5.4% to 5.5% over the past 3 years, signaling improving operational efficiency. Return on equity of 66.9% is exceptionally high. ROIC of 9.7% represents adequate returns on invested capital.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 8.3% | 8.3% | 4.2% | 1.7% | 5.6% | -2.3% | -1.3% | -1.2% | 8.1% | -0.8% | 2.1% |
| Operating Margin | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1.5% | -5.4% | 3.0% | -5.0% | -3.9% | -3.1% | 5.9% | -17.8% | -2.0% |
| Net Profit Margin | 15.2% | 15.2% | -2.0% | -0.5% | -7.6% | -7.7% | -4.4% | -3.5% | 3.1% | -19.1% | -2.4% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 66.9% | 66.9% | -11.6% | -3.4% | -34.6% | -20.2% | -11.2% | -8.3% | 6.1% | -28.4% | -4.5% |
| ROA | 17.8% | 17.8% | -2.6% | -0.9% | -11.3% | -8.5% | -5.3% | -4.2% | 3.1% | -15.3% | -2.5% |
| ROIC | 9.7% | 9.7% | 2.9% | -12.8% | 5.9% | -6.9% | -5.6% | -4.6% | 7.8% | -17.2% | -2.5% |
| ROCE | 9.5% | 9.5% | 3.0% | -14.4% | 6.1% | -6.6% | -5.6% | -4.4% | 6.8% | -15.9% | -2.4% |
CENX Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Century Aluminum Company carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.6x, which is moderately leveraged (roughly in line with the sector average of 2.5x). Net debt stands at $486M ($519M total debt minus $33M cash). Interest coverage of just 2.8x is concerning — the company has limited headroom to absorb earnings volatility before struggling with debt service.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.78 | 0.78 | 1.38 | 1.37 | 1.13 | 0.62 | 0.45 | 0.37 | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.25 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 2.56 | 2.56 | 4.45 | — | 3.19 | 136.08 | 28.13 | 8.99 | 1.44 | — | 6.22 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.73 | 1.12 | 1.24 | 1.06 | 0.47 | 0.39 | 0.32 | 0.11 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.39 | 2.39 | 3.61 | — | 3.00 | 103.44 | 24.53 | 7.74 | 0.50 | — | 3.40 |
| Debt / FCF | — | — | 36.31 | — | — | 8.77 | — | — | 5.56 | 7.59 | — |
| Interest Coverage | 2.82 | 2.82 | 0.90 | -5.13 | 2.17 | -2.55 | -2.88 | -2.63 | 4.23 | -10.54 | -1.78 |
CENX Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
A current ratio of 1.73x means Century Aluminum Company can comfortably meet its short-term obligations, though there is limited excess liquidity. The quick ratio of 0.57x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory. The current ratio has improved from 1.65x to 1.73x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.73 | 1.73 | 1.01 | 1.65 | 1.13 | 1.90 | 2.09 | 2.26 | 2.91 | 2.46 | 2.68 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.57 | 0.57 | 0.38 | 0.68 | 0.35 | 0.69 | 0.71 | 0.73 | 1.24 | 1.16 | 1.29 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.05 | 0.34 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.88 | 0.74 | 0.69 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.14 | 1.18 | 1.89 | 1.41 | 1.15 | 1.22 | 1.23 | 1.00 | 0.86 | 1.11 |
| Inventory Turnover | 3.78 | 3.78 | 4.39 | 6.85 | 4.91 | 5.64 | 5.80 | 5.57 | 4.60 | 5.69 | 8.23 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 32.16 | 28.29 | 9.42 | 14.67 | 13.94 | 19.91 | 20.28 | 12.29 | 8.05 | 5.03 |
CENX Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Century Aluminum Company does not currently pay a dividend and has no material buyback yield, reinvesting earnings back into the business. The earnings yield of 5.3% (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 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 5.3% | 18.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.6% | — | — |
| FCF Yield | — | — | 0.9% | — | — | 3.0% | — | — | 0.9% | 2.2% | — |
| Buyback Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.4% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.4% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $98M | $92M | $91M | $90M | $90M | $89M | $88M | $88M | $87M | $87M |
Peer Comparison
Compare CENX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CENXYou | $6B | 18.9 | 31.0 | — | 8.3% | 5.5% | 66.9% | 9.7% | 2.6 |
 AA | $16B | 14.2 | 9.2 | 28.8 | 13.6% | 7.6% | 20.2% | 12.7% | 0.0 |
 KALU | $3B | 26.0 | 12.7 | — | 9.5% | 5.7% | 15.1% | 7.8% | 3.6 |
 CSTM | $4B | 17.2 | 7.8 | 28.2 | 10.1% | 5.6% | 32.2% | 13.4% | 2.4 |
 NEM | $121B | 17.0 | 8.7 | 16.5 | 49.8% | 46.9% | 22.1% | 24.9% | 0.0 |
 FCX | $83B | 38.0 | 10.7 | 74.3 | 27.0% | 24.4% | 7.4% | 12.8% | 1.3 |
 MP | $12B | -136.1 | — | — | -2.4% | -44.6% | -5.0% | -4.7% | — |
 CMC | $8B | 94.3 | 10.0 | 24.8 | 15.6% | 6.7% | 2.0% | 8.5% | 1.7 |
 RS | $19B | 26.6 | 16.0 | 37.8 | 26.8% | 7.2% | 10.3% | 8.9% | 1.5 |
 NUE | $53B | 30.9 | 13.9 | — | 11.9% | 8.2% | 8.0% | 7.7% | 1.7 |
 STLD | $34B | 29.7 | 18.7 | 68.6 | 13.0% | 8.1% | 13.3% | 9.2% | 2.1 |
| Basic Materials Median | — | 22.3 | 11.0 | 25.6 | 31.3% | 9.2% | 0.0% | 4.5% | 2.5 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 29 years · Updated daily
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Start ComparisonCENX — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CENX stock.
What is Century Aluminum Company's P/E ratio?
Century Aluminum Company's current P/E ratio is 18.9x. The historical average is 31.3x. This places it at the 30th percentile of its historical range.
What is Century Aluminum Company's EV/EBITDA?
Century Aluminum Company's current EV/EBITDA is 31.0x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 14.3x.
What is Century Aluminum Company's ROE?
Century Aluminum Company's return on equity (ROE) is 66.9%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is -8.1%.
Is CENX stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Century Aluminum Company is trading at a P/E of 18.9x. This is at the 30th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What are Century Aluminum Company's profit margins?
Century Aluminum Company has 8.3% gross margin and 5.5% operating margin.
How much debt does Century Aluminum Company have?
Century Aluminum Company's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 2.6x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio between 2-4x is manageable but warrants monitoring.