Central Securities Corp. (CET) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Financial Services · Asset Management
EV/EBITDA
↑
5.66
↑+24% vs avg
5yr avg: 4.57
30Y Low2.5·High85.4
P/FCF
↑
31.83
+15% vs avg
5yr avg: 27.68
30Y Low3.0·High101.5
P/B Ratio
↓
0.84
+0% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.84
30Y Low0.8·High1.0
ROE
↓
15.8%
↓+11% vs avg
5yr avg: 14.2%
30Y Low-40%·High32%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
0.02
↑+81% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.01
30Y Low0.0·High0.0
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
CET Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Central Securities Corp. trades at 5.6x earnings, 23% above its 5-year average of 4.6x, sitting at the 61st percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Financial Services sector median P/E of 13.9x, the stock trades at a discount of 59%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 31.8x P/FCF, 15% above the 5-year average of 27.7x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $1.5B | $1.5B | $1.3B | $1.1B | $912M | $1.2B | $856M | $857M | $633M | $689M | $542M |
| Enterprise Value | $1.5B | $1.5B | $1.3B | $1.1B | $914M | $1.2B | $856M | $857M | $633M | $686M | $540M |
| P/E Ratio → | 5.64 | 5.54 | 4.51 | 4.79 | — | 3.44 | 11.62 | 3.41 | — | 4.07 | 4.81 |
| P/S Ratio | 17.23 | 16.90 | 4.38 | 18.69 | — | 3.37 | 10.72 | 3.33 | — | 3.94 | 4.59 |
| P/B Ratio | 0.84 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.81 | 0.80 | 0.91 | 0.83 | 0.86 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.80 |
| P/FCF | 31.83 | 31.23 | 34.80 | 29.09 | 22.10 | 21.16 | 26.19 | 38.09 | 25.74 | 38.33 | 23.64 |
| P/OCF | 31.83 | 31.23 | 34.77 | 28.17 | 22.10 | 21.16 | 26.19 | 38.09 | 25.74 | 38.33 | 23.64 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
CET EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Central Securities Corp.'s enterprise value stands at 5.7x EBITDA, 24% above its 5-year average of 4.6x. The Financial Services sector median is 11.1x, placing the stock at a 49% 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 | — | 16.97 | 4.38 | 18.73 | — | 3.37 | 10.72 | 3.34 | — | 3.92 | 4.57 |
| EV / EBITDA | 5.66 | 5.56 | 4.50 | 4.80 | — | 3.43 | 11.61 | 3.42 | — | 4.06 | 4.79 |
| EV / EBIT | 5.67 | 5.56 | — | 4.80 | — | 3.44 | 11.61 | — | — | — | — |
| EV / FCF | — | 31.35 | 34.79 | 29.15 | 22.16 | 21.15 | 26.18 | 38.10 | 25.73 | 38.18 | 23.53 |
CET Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Central Securities Corp. earns an operating margin of 305.0%, significantly above the Financial Services sector average of 20.0%. Operating margins have compressed from 389.8% to 305.0% over the past 3 years, signaling potential cost pressures or competitive headwinds. ROE of 15.8% indicates solid capital efficiency, compared to the sector median of 8.9%. ROIC of 11.8% represents solid returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.3%.
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 | 93.4% | 93.4% | 100.0% | 91.6% | 103.0% | 98.5% | 94.1% | 98.2% | 115.6% | 97.6% | 96.5% |
| Operating Margin | 305.0% | 305.0% | 97.2% | 389.8% | 103.9% | 98.1% | 92.3% | 97.7% | 120.3% | 96.8% | 95.4% |
| Net Profit Margin | 305.0% | 305.0% | 97.2% | 389.8% | 103.9% | 98.1% | 92.3% | 97.7% | 120.3% | 96.8% | 95.4% |
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 | 15.8% | 15.8% | 19.9% | 18.2% | -12.9% | 29.9% | 7.3% | 28.5% | -4.3% | 22.5% | 17.9% |
| ROA | 15.8% | 15.8% | 19.9% | 18.2% | -12.9% | 29.8% | 7.3% | 28.5% | -4.3% | 22.5% | 17.9% |
| ROIC | 11.8% | 11.8% | 14.9% | 13.6% | -9.6% | 22.4% | 5.4% | 21.4% | -3.2% | 16.9% | 13.4% |
| ROCE | 15.8% | 15.8% | 19.9% | 18.2% | -12.9% | 29.8% | 7.3% | 28.5% | -4.3% | 22.6% | 17.9% |
CET Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Central Securities Corp. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 0.0x, which is very conservative (100% below the sector average of 4.2x). Net debt stands at $5M ($5M total debt minus $49910 cash).
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | — | — | — |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | — | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | — | — | — |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.00 | -0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | -0.00 | -0.00 | 0.00 | -0.00 | -0.00 | -0.00 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.02 | 0.02 | -0.00 | 0.01 | — | -0.00 | -0.01 | 0.00 | — | -0.02 | -0.02 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 0.11 | -0.01 | 0.06 | 0.05 | -0.01 | -0.01 | 0.01 | -0.01 | -0.15 | -0.11 |
| Interest Coverage | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
CET Liquidity & Efficiency
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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.16 | — |
| Quick Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.16 | — |
| Cash Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.69 | — |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.05 | 0.19 | 0.04 | -0.13 | 0.27 | 0.08 | 0.26 | -0.04 | 0.21 | 0.17 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
CET Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Central Securities Corp. returns 3.2% to shareholders annually — split between a 3.1% dividend yield and 0.1% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 17.5% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 17.7% (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 | 3.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | 17.5% | 17.5% | 13.2% | 13.8% | — | 16.3% | 36.7% | 8.6% | — | 9.5% | 14.2% |
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 | 17.7% | 18.0% | 22.2% | 20.9% | — | 29.1% | 8.6% | 29.3% | — | 24.6% | 20.8% |
| FCF Yield | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 4.2% |
| Buyback Yield | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 3.2% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $29M | $28M | $28M | $27M | $27M | $26M | $26M | $25M | $25M | $25M |
Peer Comparison
Compare CET with 9 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CETYou | $1B | 5.6 | 5.7 | 31.8 | 93.4% | 305.0% | 15.8% | 11.8% | 0.0 |
 GAM | $1B | 5.8 | 5.9 | — | 100.0% | 97.5% | 16.5% | 12.4% | 0.0 |
 SOR | $370M | 9.4 | 9.4 | — | 100.0% | 97.4% | 10.9% | 8.2% | — |
 TY | $2B | 5.6 | 5.7 | — | 100.0% | 99.7% | 17.6% | 13.2% | 0.0 |
 ASA | $1B | 1.6 | 1.6 | — | 96.6% | 453.2% | 86.0% | 65.2% | — |
 TPVG | $192M | 3.9 | 8.5 | — | 83.5% | 77.9% | 14.1% | 7.2% | 6.2 |
 BEN | $18B | 37.1 | 24.0 | 19.3 | 80.3% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 11.7 |
 IVZ | $12B | -16.9 | 16.4 | 8.3 | 43.2% | -10.9% | -2.0% | -2.3% | 8.2 |
 CSWC | $1B | 12.3 | 13.0 | — | 94.3% | 76.9% | 11.9% | 7.1% | 5.8 |
 GROW | $39M | -124.0 | — | — | 41.7% | -35.3% | -0.7% | -4.7% | — |
| Financial Services Median | — | 13.9 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 64.0% | 20.0% | 8.9% | 5.3% | 4.2 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
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Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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CET — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CET stock.
What is Central Securities Corp.'s P/E ratio?
Central Securities Corp.'s current P/E ratio is 5.6x. The historical average is 7.7x. This places it at the 61th percentile of its historical range.
What is Central Securities Corp.'s EV/EBITDA?
Central Securities Corp.'s current EV/EBITDA is 5.7x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 19.4x.
What is Central Securities Corp.'s ROE?
Central Securities Corp.'s return on equity (ROE) is 15.8%. The historical average is 10.2%.
Is CET stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Central Securities Corp. is trading at a P/E of 5.6x. This is at the 61th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is Central Securities Corp.'s dividend yield?
Central Securities Corp.'s current dividend yield is 3.10% with a payout ratio of 17.5%.
What are Central Securities Corp.'s profit margins?
Central Securities Corp. has 93.4% gross margin and 305.0% operating margin. Operating margin above 20% indicates strong pricing power and cost efficiency.
How much debt does Central Securities Corp. have?
Central Securities Corp.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.0x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.