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INDICATIVE · SAMPLE DATA
ACUNYSE$40.7264

ACME UNITED CORP

Real Estate Investment TrustsRules + LLM

ACME UNITED CORP has a liquidity position that is characterized by a current ratio of 4.57, indicating a strong ability to meet short-term obligations with its current assets. However, the company reported negative operating cash flow of -$2.23 million in Q1 2026, which is a concern for its short-term liquidity. The company's price-to-book ratio is 2.32, suggesting that the market values the company at a premium to its book value. The price-to-earnings ratio is 171.81, which is significantly higher than the industry median, indicating that the company is currently overvalued relative to its earnings. In terms of profitability, ACME UNITED CORP has a return on equity of 0.84% and a return on assets of 0.5%, which are both below the industry median. The company's operating margin is 3.34%, which is also below the industry median, indicating that the company is not as efficient in converting revenue into profit as its peers. The company's net profit margin is 1.88%, which is also below the industry median, further highlighting the company's challenges in maintaining profitability. The company's revenue is concentrated in North America, with the majority of its sales coming from this region. The company has a significant presence in the office products market, but it is also exposed to risks associated with changes in customer requirements and the volume of sales to principal customers. The company's reliance on third-party distributors also poses a risk to its revenue stability. ACME UNITED CORP's growth trajectory is mixed. The company has a revenue growth rate of 0% in the current fiscal year, which is below the industry median. The company's capital expenditure of $1.89 million in Q1 2026 indicates that it is investing in its operations, but the negative free cash flow of -$4.12 million suggests that the company is not generating enough cash to fund its operations and investments without relying on external financing. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.28, which is below the industry median, indicating that the company is not heavily leveraged. The company faces several risk factors, including the potential for dilution due to the significant difference between its basic and diluted share counts. The company's net cash is negative after subtracting total debt, which is a liquidity risk. The company is also subject to industry demand fluctuations and the emergence of new competitors or consolidation of existing competitors, which could impact its market position. The company's liquidity is rated as medium, and the risk of dilution is high, which could affect shareholder value. Recent events include the acquisition of My Medic, which was accounted for as a business combination. The company also purchased a 77,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution center in Mt. This expansion is intended to provide liquidity for operating activities, growth, acquisitions, dividends, share repurchases, and other business activities. The company's expectations for future net revenues are based on its estimates of future demand, which is subject to change.

30-day price · ACU-2.82 (-6.3%)
Low$39.31High$47.14Close$41.69As of19 May, 00:00 UTC
Profile
CompanyACME UNITED CORP
ExchangeNYSE
TickerACU
CIK0000002098
SICCutlery, Handtools & General Hardware
SectorReal Estate
BusinessReal Estate Investment & Services
Industry groupResidential & Commercial REITs
IndustryReal Estate Investment Trusts
AI analysis

Business. ACME UNITED CORP is a diversified manufacturer and distributor of office products, including staplers, hole punches, and other stationery supplies, primarily serving the North American market.

Classification. ACME UNITED CORP is classified in the Real Estate sector under Real Estate Investment & Services, specifically in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry, with a confidence level of 0.66 based on rule-based classification.

ACME UNITED CORP has a liquidity position that is characterized by a current ratio of 4.57, indicating a strong ability to meet short-term obligations with its current assets. However, the company reported negative operating cash flow of -$2.23 million in Q1 2026, which is a concern for its short-term liquidity. The company's price-to-book ratio is 2.32, suggesting that the market values the company at a premium to its book value. The price-to-earnings ratio is 171.81, which is significantly higher than the industry median, indicating that the company is currently overvalued relative to its earnings. In terms of profitability, ACME UNITED CORP has a return on equity of 0.84% and a return on assets of 0.5%, which are both below the industry median. The company's operating margin is 3.34%, which is also below the industry median, indicating that the company is not as efficient in converting revenue into profit as its peers. The company's net profit margin is 1.88%, which is also below the industry median, further highlighting the company's challenges in maintaining profitability. The company's revenue is concentrated in North America, with the majority of its sales coming from this region. The company has a significant presence in the office products market, but it is also exposed to risks associated with changes in customer requirements and the volume of sales to principal customers. The company's reliance on third-party distributors also poses a risk to its revenue stability. ACME UNITED CORP's growth trajectory is mixed. The company has a revenue growth rate of 0% in the current fiscal year, which is below the industry median. The company's capital expenditure of $1.89 million in Q1 2026 indicates that it is investing in its operations, but the negative free cash flow of -$4.12 million suggests that the company is not generating enough cash to fund its operations and investments without relying on external financing. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.28, which is below the industry median, indicating that the company is not heavily leveraged. The company faces several risk factors, including the potential for dilution due to the significant difference between its basic and diluted share counts. The company's net cash is negative after subtracting total debt, which is a liquidity risk. The company is also subject to industry demand fluctuations and the emergence of new competitors or consolidation of existing competitors, which could impact its market position. The company's liquidity is rated as medium, and the risk of dilution is high, which could affect shareholder value. Recent events include the acquisition of My Medic, which was accounted for as a business combination. The company also purchased a 77,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution center in Mt. This expansion is intended to provide liquidity for operating activities, growth, acquisitions, dividends, share repurchases, and other business activities. The company's expectations for future net revenues are based on its estimates of future demand, which is subject to change.
Key takeaways
  • ACME UNITED CORP has a strong current ratio but negative operating cash flow, indicating potential liquidity issues.
  • The company's profitability metrics are below the industry median, suggesting inefficiencies in converting revenue into profit.
  • Revenue is concentrated in North America, and the company is exposed to risks associated with customer requirements and third-party distributors.
  • The company's growth trajectory is mixed, with a revenue growth rate below the industry median and negative free cash flow.
  • The company faces high dilution risk and potential liquidity issues due to its capital structure.
  • Recent acquisitions and capacity expansion are intended to support growth and liquidity.
  • --
  • ## RATIONALES
Financial snapshot
PeriodQ1 2026
CurrencyUSD
Revenue$52.3M
Gross profit$20.8M
Operating income$1.7M
Net income$985.0k
R&D
SG&A
D&A
SBC$319.0k
Operating cash flow-$2.2M
CapEx$1.9M
Free cash flow-$4.1M
Total assets$195.2M
Total liabilities$78.5M
Total equity$116.7M
Cash & equivalents$4.2M
Long-term debt$33.0M
Annual history (last 5)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
FY2025$196.5M$14.7M$10.2M$7.6M
FY2024$194.5M$14.1M$10.0M$4.8M
FY2025$194.5M$14.1M$10.0M$4.8M
FY2023$191.5M$13.2M$17.8M$24.2M
FY2024$191.5M$13.2M$17.8M$24.2M
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
FY2025
FY2024
FY2025
FY2023
FY2024
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
FY2025$171.0M$117.6M$3.6M
FY2024$162.2M$107.0M$6.4M
FY2025$162.2M$107.0M$6.4M
FY2023$149.2M$97.9M$4.8M
FY2024$149.2M$97.9M$4.8M
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
FY2025$18.2M$10.7M$7.6M$2.0M
FY2024$12.0M$7.1M$4.8M$2.2M
FY2025$12.0M$7.1M$4.8M$2.2M
FY2023$28.9M$4.7M$24.2M$1.9M
FY2024$28.9M$4.7M$24.2M$1.9M
Quarterly history (last 4)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
Q1 2026$52.3M$1.7M$985.0k-$4.1M
Q1 2026
Q3 2025$149.0M$11.8M$8.3M$326.0k
Q2 2025$100.0M$8.8M$6.4M$25.0k
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
Q1 2026
Q1 2026
Q3 2025
Q2 2025
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
Q1 2026$195.2M$116.7M$4.2M
Q1 2026$171.0M$117.6M$3.6M
Q3 2025$173.0M$115.8M$5.1M
Q2 2025$170.9M$113.7M$3.6M
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
Q1 2026-$2.2M$1.9M-$4.1M$319.0k
Q1 2026
Q3 2025$10.1M$9.8M$326.0k$1.6M
Q2 2025$3.0M$3.0M$25.0k$787.0k
Valuation
Market price$40.72
Market cap$169.2M
Enterprise value$198.1M
P/E171.8
Reported non-GAAP P/E
EV/Revenue3.8
EV/Op income113.4
EV/OCF
P/B2.3
P/Tangible book2.3
Tangible book$72.8M
Net cash-$28.8M
Current ratio4.6
Debt/Equity0.3
ROA0.5%
ROE0.8%
Cash conversion-2.3%
CapEx/Revenue3.6%
SBC/Revenue0.6%
Asset intensity0.2
Dilution ratio9.1%
Risk assessment
Dilution riskHigh
Liquidity riskMedium
  • Diluted share count is materially above the basic share count.
  • Net cash is negative after subtracting total debt.
Industry benchmarks
Activity: Equity REITs · cohort 2 companies
MetricACUActivity
Op margin3.3%-7.4% medp25 -7.4% · p75 -7.4%top quartile
Net margin1.9%8.5% medp25 1.4% · p75 42.7%below median
Gross margin39.7%41.0% medp25 41.0% · p75 41.0%bottom quartile
CapEx / revenue3.6%105.8% medp25 54.7% · p75 156.9%bottom quartile
Debt / equity28.0%49.9% medp25 49.9% · p75 49.9%bottom quartile
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
2026-05-16 01:20 UTC#b7fe618c
Market quoteclose USD 41.14 · shares 0.00B diluted
no public URL
2026-05-16 01:20 UTC#deb663c6
Source: analysis-pipeline (hybrid)Generated: 2026-05-27 06:29 UTCJob: a08e3f1d