L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Industrials · Railroads
EV/EBITDA
↑
14.12
+0% vs avg
5yr avg: 14.08
30Y Low5.2·High27.3
P/FCF
↑
16.75
+19% vs avg
5yr avg: 14.08
30Y Low2.4·High108.3
P/B Ratio
↑
2.50
↑+90% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.32
30Y Low0.3·High2.9
ROE
↑
4.3%
↓+278% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.1%
30Y Low-68%·High71%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
1.95
↓-57% vs avg
5yr avg: 4.57
30Y Low0.0·High14.0
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
FSTR Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
L.B. Foster Company trades at 58.5x earnings, 8% below its 5-year average of 63.9x, sitting at the 84th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Industrials sector median P/E of 25.5x, the stock trades at a premium of 129%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 16.8x P/FCF, 19% above the 5-year average of 14.1x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $422M | $293M | $297M | $242M | $104M | $148M | $161M | $206M | $165M | $285M | $140M |
| Enterprise Value | $485M | $356M | $356M | $306M | $207M | $181M | $212M | $259M | $229M | $377M | $269M |
| P/E Ratio → | 58.49 | 39.06 | 6.92 | 169.15 | — | 40.44 | 21.20 | 4.74 | — | 69.62 | — |
| P/S Ratio | 0.78 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.44 | 0.21 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.26 | 0.53 | 0.29 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.50 | 1.67 | 1.66 | 1.69 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.91 | 1.21 | 1.35 | 1.94 | 1.05 |
| P/FCF | 16.75 | 11.64 | 23.14 | 7.45 | — | — | 20.75 | 10.08 | 7.95 | 8.57 | 13.01 |
| P/OCF | 11.85 | 8.23 | 13.13 | 6.54 | — | — | 9.49 | 7.04 | 6.35 | 7.23 | 7.59 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
FSTR EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
L.B. Foster Company's enterprise value stands at 14.1x EBITDA, roughly in line with its 5-year average of 14.1x. This is roughly in line with the Industrials sector median of 13.8x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.56 | 0.42 | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.37 | 0.70 | 0.56 |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.12 | 10.37 | 10.30 | 12.57 | 27.32 | 9.86 | 7.24 | 5.40 | — | 10.59 | 14.70 |
| EV / EBIT | 22.15 | 15.96 | 18.34 | 47.34 | — | 23.99 | 11.92 | 8.71 | — | 20.80 | — |
| EV / FCF | — | 14.13 | 27.75 | 9.44 | — | — | 27.34 | 12.67 | 11.08 | 11.34 | 25.04 |
FSTR Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
L.B. Foster Company earns an operating margin of 4.1%, roughly in line with the Industrials sector average. Operating margins have expanded from 1.7% to 4.1% over the past 3 years, signaling improving operational efficiency. ROE of 4.3% is modest, trailing the sector median of 8.2%. ROIC of 6.9% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 6.3%.
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 | 21.1% | 21.1% | 22.2% | 20.6% | 18.0% | 16.8% | 19.1% | 19.6% | 18.7% | 19.2% | 18.7% |
| Operating Margin | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 1.7% | -1.4% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 5.4% | -3.3% | 2.9% | -1.1% |
| Net Profit Margin | 1.4% | 1.4% | 8.1% | 0.3% | -9.2% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 6.9% | -5.0% | 0.8% | -29.3% |
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 | 4.3% | 4.3% | 26.7% | 1.0% | -28.4% | 2.0% | 4.4% | 29.2% | -23.2% | 2.9% | -68.1% |
| ROA | 2.3% | 2.3% | 13.3% | 0.4% | -12.9% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 10.8% | -8.0% | 1.0% | -29.5% |
| ROIC | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.0% | -2.4% | 1.5% | 5.2% | 12.3% | -7.2% | 4.7% | -1.1% |
| ROCE | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.8% | 3.8% | -2.8% | 1.7% | 5.5% | 12.3% | -7.3% | 5.1% | -1.3% |
FSTR Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
L.B. Foster Company carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.0x, which is manageable (39% below the sector average of 3.2x). Net debt stands at $63M ($67M total debt minus $4M cash). Interest coverage of 4.6x 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 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.47 | 0.77 | 0.24 | 0.33 | 0.40 | 0.61 | 0.89 | 1.20 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.95 | 1.95 | 1.78 | 2.75 | 14.00 | 2.37 | 2.00 | 1.40 | — | 3.65 | 8.72 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.45 | 0.75 | 0.18 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.53 | 0.63 | 0.97 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.83 | 1.83 | 1.71 | 2.65 | 13.62 | 1.81 | 1.75 | 1.10 | — | 2.59 | 7.06 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 2.49 | 4.61 | 1.99 | — | — | 6.59 | 2.59 | 3.12 | 2.78 | 12.03 |
| Interest Coverage | 4.56 | 4.56 | 3.89 | 1.17 | -1.69 | 2.55 | 4.72 | 6.06 | -3.33 | 2.16 | -21.47 |
FSTR Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
A current ratio of 1.87x means L.B. Foster Company can comfortably meet its short-term obligations, though there is limited excess liquidity. The quick ratio of 1.15x 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 1.77x to 1.87x 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 | 1.87 | 1.87 | 1.83 | 1.77 | 2.00 | 2.08 | 2.05 | 1.86 | 1.83 | 2.36 | 2.42 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.15 | 1.15 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 1.26 | 1.35 | 1.22 | 1.16 | 0.82 | 1.32 | 1.41 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.40 | 0.37 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.63 | 1.59 | 1.74 | 1.36 | 1.50 | 1.34 | 1.52 | 1.64 | 1.35 | 1.23 |
| Inventory Turnover | 7.08 | 7.08 | 5.85 | 5.90 | 5.39 | 6.80 | 5.12 | 6.08 | 4.09 | 4.44 | 4.72 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 54.45 | 56.18 | 55.70 | 85.16 | 65.44 | 70.55 | 65.52 | 50.14 | 52.11 | 50.30 |
FSTR Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
L.B. Foster Company returns 3.9% to shareholders annually primarily through share buybacks. The earnings yield of 1.7% (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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.9% |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 1.7% | 2.6% | 14.5% | 0.6% | — | 2.5% | 4.7% | 21.1% | — | 1.4% | — |
| FCF Yield | 6.0% | 8.6% | 4.3% | 13.4% | — | — | 4.8% | 9.9% | 12.6% | 11.7% | 7.7% |
| Buyback Yield | 3.9% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 3.9% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $10M | $10M | $10M |
Peer Comparison
Compare FSTR 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 FSTRYou | $422M | 58.5 | 14.1 | 16.8 | 21.1% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 6.9% | 2.0 |
 ITRN | $1B | 20.2 | 13.3 | 20.7 | 49.7% | 21.4% | 27.9% | 47.2% | 0.0 |
 KALU | $3B | 26.0 | 12.7 | — | 9.5% | 5.7% | 15.1% | 7.8% | 3.6 |
 ZEUS | $533M | 24.3 | 10.6 | 127.1 | 23.2% | 2.5% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.0 |
 STLD | $34B | 29.2 | 18.3 | 67.3 | 13.0% | 8.1% | 13.3% | 9.2% | 2.1 |
 RS | $19B | 26.4 | 15.9 | 37.5 | 26.8% | 7.2% | 10.3% | 8.9% | 1.5 |
 GRC | $2B | 37.8 | 18.7 | 22.6 | 28.8% | 14.0% | 13.4% | 9.9% | 2.7 |
 TRN | $3B | 12.0 | 12.3 | — | 26.6% | 16.6% | 20.6% | 4.1% | 8.2 |
 RAIL | $254M | 7.3 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 14.6% | 6.8% | — | — | 3.8 |
 WAB | $45B | 38.9 | 21.0 | 30.1 | 31.5% | 16.7% | 11.0% | 9.6% | 2.3 |
 MYRG | $7B | 56.8 | 28.8 | 28.7 | 11.5% | 4.4% | 18.8% | 18.3% | 0.5 |
| Industrials Median | — | 25.5 | 13.8 | 20.7 | 32.7% | 4.9% | 8.2% | 6.3% | 3.2 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
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Start ComparisonFSTR — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying FSTR stock.
What is L.B. Foster Company's P/E ratio?
L.B. Foster Company's current P/E ratio is 58.5x. The historical average is 30.1x. This places it at the 84th percentile of its historical range.
What is L.B. Foster Company's EV/EBITDA?
L.B. Foster Company's current EV/EBITDA is 14.1x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.8x.
What is L.B. Foster Company's ROE?
L.B. Foster Company's return on equity (ROE) is 4.3%. The historical average is 3.6%.
Is FSTR stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, L.B. Foster Company is trading at a P/E of 58.5x. This is at the 84th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What are L.B. Foster Company's profit margins?
L.B. Foster Company has 21.1% gross margin and 4.1% operating margin.
How much debt does L.B. Foster Company have?
L.B. Foster Company's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 2.0x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.