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REFR59

Research Frontiers Inc

Entertainment ProductionVerified
Score breakdown
Sentiment+30Missing signals-3
Quality breakdown
Key fields100Profile38Conclusion98AI synthesis40Observations20

Research Frontiers Inc operates with a debt-free capital structure, as evidenced by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.0 and no long-term debt. The company maintains a strong liquidity position with a current ratio of 3.84 and cash and equivalents of $664,300, which is a significant portion of its total assets of $2,251,750. However, the company's operating cash flow is negative at -$1,329,160, and free cash flow is -$2,033,920, indicating a reliance on non-operational sources to maintain liquidity [doc:HA-latest]. Profitability metrics are negative, with a return on equity of -2.191 and a return on assets of -0.9084, both significantly below the industry median for Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components. The company reported a net loss of $2,045,580 and an operating loss of $2,132,170, with a gross loss of $1,523,430. These figures suggest the company is not currently generating value for shareholders and is underperforming in terms of operational efficiency [doc:HA-latest]. The company's revenue is concentrated across five application areas: aerospace, architectural, automotive, marine, and display products. While the input data does not specify the exact revenue contribution from each segment, the licensing model implies a diversified geographic and product exposure. However, the lack of detailed segment reporting limits the ability to assess concentration risk or growth potential within specific markets [doc:HA-latest]. The company's growth trajectory is uncertain, as the input data does not provide forward-looking revenue guidance or historical growth rates. The negative operating and free cash flows suggest the company is not currently in a growth phase and may require external financing to sustain operations. The absence of capital expenditures ($730) further indicates a lack of investment in expansion or innovation [doc:HA-latest]. Risk factors include a low liquidity score and the potential for dilution, although no immediate filing-based flags were detected. The company's negative cash flows and operating losses increase the risk of liquidity constraints in the future. The absence of long-term debt may provide some flexibility, but the company's reliance on cash reserves could be a concern if operating performance does not improve [doc:HA-latest]. Recent events include a reported ESG controversies score of 100.0, indicating significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks. The governance pillar score of 34.2 and social pillar score of 15.3 further highlight areas of concern. These ESG metrics may impact the company's reputation and access to capital, particularly in markets where ESG performance is a key consideration [doc:HA-latest].

Profile
CompanyResearch Frontiers Inc
TickerREFR.O
SectorConsumer Cyclicals
BusinessCyclical Consumer Services
Industry groupCyclical Consumer Services
IndustryEntertainment Production
AI analysis

Business. Research Frontiers Inc develops and licenses its patented suspended particle device (SPD-Smart) light-control technology to companies that manufacture and market smart windows, skylights, and sunroofs across aerospace, architectural, automotive, marine, and display product applications [doc:HA-latest].

Classification. The company is classified under Consumer Cyclicals > Cyclical Consumer Services > Entertainment Production with a confidence level of 0.92, based on verified market data.

Research Frontiers Inc operates with a debt-free capital structure, as evidenced by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.0 and no long-term debt. The company maintains a strong liquidity position with a current ratio of 3.84 and cash and equivalents of $664,300, which is a significant portion of its total assets of $2,251,750. However, the company's operating cash flow is negative at -$1,329,160, and free cash flow is -$2,033,920, indicating a reliance on non-operational sources to maintain liquidity [doc:HA-latest]. Profitability metrics are negative, with a return on equity of -2.191 and a return on assets of -0.9084, both significantly below the industry median for Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components. The company reported a net loss of $2,045,580 and an operating loss of $2,132,170, with a gross loss of $1,523,430. These figures suggest the company is not currently generating value for shareholders and is underperforming in terms of operational efficiency [doc:HA-latest]. The company's revenue is concentrated across five application areas: aerospace, architectural, automotive, marine, and display products. While the input data does not specify the exact revenue contribution from each segment, the licensing model implies a diversified geographic and product exposure. However, the lack of detailed segment reporting limits the ability to assess concentration risk or growth potential within specific markets [doc:HA-latest]. The company's growth trajectory is uncertain, as the input data does not provide forward-looking revenue guidance or historical growth rates. The negative operating and free cash flows suggest the company is not currently in a growth phase and may require external financing to sustain operations. The absence of capital expenditures ($730) further indicates a lack of investment in expansion or innovation [doc:HA-latest]. Risk factors include a low liquidity score and the potential for dilution, although no immediate filing-based flags were detected. The company's negative cash flows and operating losses increase the risk of liquidity constraints in the future. The absence of long-term debt may provide some flexibility, but the company's reliance on cash reserves could be a concern if operating performance does not improve [doc:HA-latest]. Recent events include a reported ESG controversies score of 100.0, indicating significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks. The governance pillar score of 34.2 and social pillar score of 15.3 further highlight areas of concern. These ESG metrics may impact the company's reputation and access to capital, particularly in markets where ESG performance is a key consideration [doc:HA-latest].
Key takeaways
  • Research Frontiers Inc is currently operating at a loss with negative cash flows and no long-term debt.
  • The company's return on equity and return on assets are significantly below industry medians, indicating poor profitability.
  • The company's revenue is spread across five application areas, but detailed segment reporting is lacking.
  • The company's liquidity position is strong in the short term, but negative operating cash flows pose a long-term risk.
  • ESG controversies and low governance and social scores suggest potential reputational and capital access risks.
  • --
  • ## RATIONALES
  • ```json
Financial snapshot
PeriodHA-latest
CurrencyUSD
Revenue$1.1M
Gross profit-$1.5M
Operating income-$2.1M
Net income-$2.0M
R&D
SG&A
D&A
SBC
Operating cash flow-$1.3M
CapEx-$730.00
Free cash flow-$2.0M
Total assets$2.3M
Total liabilities$1.3M
Total equity$933.6k
Cash & equivalents$664.3k
Long-term debt$0.00
Annual history (last 5)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
Quarterly history (last 4)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
Valuation
Market price
Market cap
Enterprise value
P/E
Reported non-GAAP P/E
EV/Revenue
EV/Op income
EV/OCF
P/B
P/Tangible book
Tangible book$933.6k
Net cash$664.3k
Current ratio3.8
Debt/Equity0.0
ROA-90.8%
ROE-2.2%
Cash conversion65.0%
CapEx/Revenue-0.1%
SBC/Revenue
Asset intensity
Dilution ratio0.0%
Risk assessment
Dilution riskLow
Liquidity riskLow
  • No immediate filing-based liquidity or dilution flags were detected.
Industry benchmarks
Activity: Entertainment Production · cohort 1 companies
MetricREFRActivity
Op margin-190.2%11.3% medp25 8.1% · p75 14.5%bottom quartile
Net margin-182.4%3.0% medp25 2.5% · p75 3.6%bottom quartile
Gross margin-135.9%32.2% medp25 15.8% · p75 61.2%bottom quartile
CapEx / revenue-0.1%4.2% medp25 4.2% · p75 4.2%bottom quartile
Debt / equity0.0%1454.2% medp25 776.9% · p75 2131.5%bottom quartile
Observations
IR observations
Last actual revenue1,488,640 USD
market data ESG controversies score100.0
market data ESG governance pillar34.2
market data ESG social pillar15.3
Source data
Underlying data the analysis-pipeline pulls and audits. Fetch timestamps + content hashes show when each source was last refreshed.
Company fundamentalsperiod FQ-7 · history via verified-market-data
no public URL
2026-05-03 14:17 UTC#ba789533
Source: analysis-pipeline (hybrid)Generated: 2026-05-03 14:18 UTCJob: a6b80746