LB Foster Profitability Analysis

FSTR Stock  USD 28.40  0.03  0.11%   
Considering LB Foster's profitability and operating efficiency indicators, LB Foster's profitability may be sliding down. It has an above-average probability of reporting lower numbers next quarter. Profitability indicators assess LB Foster's ability to earn profits and add value for shareholders.
 
Net Income  
First Reported
1985-09-30
Previous Quarter
2.9 M
Current Value
4.4 M
Quarterly Volatility
13.8 M
 
Black Monday
 
Oil Shock
 
Dot-com Bubble
 
Housing Crash
 
Credit Downgrade
 
Yuan Drop
 
Covid
As of 01/10/2026, Price To Sales Ratio is likely to drop to 0.28. In addition to that, Days Sales Outstanding is likely to drop to 46.30. At this time, LB Foster's Income Before Tax is relatively stable compared to the past year. As of 01/10/2026, Net Income is likely to grow to about 51.7 M, while Operating Income is likely to drop slightly above 12.5 M. As of 01/10/2026, Net Profit Margin is likely to grow to 0.1, while Gross Profit is likely to drop slightly above 69.5 M.
Current ValueLast YearChange From Last Year 10 Year Trend
Gross Profit Margin0.120.2
Way Down
Pretty Stable
For LB Foster profitability analysis, we use financial ratios and fundamental drivers that measure the ability of LB Foster to generate income relative to revenue, assets, operating costs, and current equity. These fundamental indicators attest to how well LB Foster utilizes its assets to generate profit and value for its shareholders. The profitability module also shows relationships between LB Foster's most relevant fundamental drivers. It provides multiple suggestions of what could affect the performance of LB Foster over time as well as its relative position and ranking within its peers.

LB Foster's Revenue Breakdown by Earning Segment

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To learn how to invest in FSTR Stock, please use our How to Invest in LB Foster guide.The next projected EPS of LB Foster is estimated to be -0.07 with future projections ranging from a low of -0.07 to a high of -0.07. LB Foster's most recent 12-month trailing earnings per share (EPS TTM) is at 0.45. Please be aware that the consensus of earnings estimates for LB Foster is based on EPS before non-recurring items and includes expenses related to employee stock options.
 
Housing Crash
 
Credit Downgrade
 
Yuan Drop
 
Covid
LB Foster is projected to generate -0.07 in earnings per share on the 31st of March 2026. LB Foster earnings estimates show analyst consensus about projected LB Foster EPS (Earning Per Share). It derives the highest and the lowest estimates based on LB Foster's historical volatility. Many public companies, such as LB Foster, manage the perception of their earnings on a regular basis to make sure that analyst estimates are accurate. Future earnings calculations are also an essential input when attempting to value a firm.

LB Foster Revenue Breakdown by Earning Segment

By analyzing LB Foster's earnings estimates, investors can diagnose different trends across LB Foster's analyst sentiment over time as well as compare current estimates against different timeframes.
Is Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of LB Foster. If investors know FSTR will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about LB Foster listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
(0.88)
Earnings Share
0.45
Revenue Per Share
48.427
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.006
Return On Assets
0.0367
The market value of LB Foster is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of FSTR that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of LB Foster's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is LB Foster's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because LB Foster's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect LB Foster's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between LB Foster's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if LB Foster is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, LB Foster's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

LB Foster Return On Asset vs. Return On Equity Fundamental Analysis

Comparative valuation techniques use various fundamental indicators to help in determining LB Foster's current stock value. Our valuation model uses many indicators to compare LB Foster value to that of its competitors to determine the firm's financial worth.
LB Foster is rated below average in return on equity category among its peers. It is rated # 5 in return on asset category among its peers reporting about  1.37  of Return On Asset per Return On Equity. At this time, LB Foster's Return On Equity is relatively stable compared to the past year. Comparative valuation analysis is a catch-all technique that is used if you cannot value LB Foster by discounting back its dividends or cash flows. It compares the stock's price multiples to nearest competition to determine if the stock is relatively undervalued or overvalued.

FSTR Return On Asset vs. Return On Equity

Return on Equity or ROE tells company stockholders how effectually their money is being utilized or reinvested. It is a useful ratio when analyzing company profitability or the management effectiveness given the capital invested by the shareholders. ROE shows how efficiently a company utilizes investments to generate income.

LB Foster

Return On Equity

 = 

Net Income

Total Equity

 = 
0.0267
For most industries, Return on Equity between 10% and 30% are considered desirable to provide dividends to owners and have funds for the future growth of the company. Investors should be very careful using ROE as the only efficiency indicator because ROE can be high if a company is heavily leveraged.
Return on Asset or ROA shows how effective is the management of the company in generating income from utilizing all of the assets at their disposal. It is a useful ratio to evaluate the performance of different departments of a company as well as to understand management performance over time.

LB Foster

Return On Asset

 = 

Net Income

Total Assets

 = 
0.0367
Return on Asset measures overall efficiency of a company in generating profits from its total assets. It is expressed as the percentage of profits earned per dollar of Asset. A low ROA typically means that a company is asset-intensive and therefore will needs more money to continue generating revenue in the future.

FSTR Return On Asset Comparison

LB Foster is currently under evaluation in return on asset category among its peers.

LB Foster Profitability Projections

The most important aspect of a successful company is its ability to generate a profit. For investors in LB Foster, profitability is also one of the essential criteria for including it into their portfolios because, without profit, LB Foster will eventually generate negative long term returns. The profitability progress is the general direction of LB Foster's change in net profit over the period of time. It can combine multiple indicators of LB Foster, where stable trends show no significant progress. An accelerating trend is seen as positive, while a decreasing one is unfavorable. A rising trend means that profits are rising, and operational efficiency may be rising as well. A decreasing trend is a sign of poor performance and may indicate upcoming losses.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income-25 M-26.2 M
Operating Income23.6 M12.5 M
Income Before Tax16.6 M17.4 M
Total Other Income Expense Net-5.5 M-5.7 M
Net Income49.3 M51.7 M
Income Tax Expense-32.7 M-31 M
Net Loss-41 M-39 M
Net Income From Continuing Ops38.6 M40.5 M
Non Operating Income Net Other1.4 M1.2 M
Net Interest Income-5.7 M-6 M
Interest Income353.1 K294.2 K
Change To Netincome53.2 M55.8 M
Net Income Per Share 3.61  3.79 
Income Quality 0.61  0.58 
Net Income Per E B T 2.68  2.81 

FSTR Profitability Driver Comparison

Profitability drivers are factors that can directly affect your investment outlook on LB Foster. Investors often realize that things won't turn out the way they predict. There are maybe way too many unforeseen events and contingencies during the holding period of LB Foster position where the market behavior may be hard to predict, tax policy changes, gold or oil price hikes, calamities change, and many others. The question is, are you prepared for these unexpected events? Although some of these situations are obviously beyond your control, you can still follow the important profit indicators to know where you should focus on when things like this occur. Below are some of the LB Foster's important profitability drivers and their relationship over time.

LB Foster Profitability Trends

LB Foster profitability trend refers to the progression of profit or loss within a business. An upward trend means that LB Foster's profit has generally increased over time, and a downward profitability trend means profits are declining. Recognizing problems early in profitability trends allows investors to address revenue and cost issues in advance. Investors and analysts usually monitor three types of profitability trends: gross, operating, and net. Gross profit is the difference between revenue and costs of goods sold. Operating profit is LB Foster's gross profit minus its overhead. After you account for other unusual revenue, expenses, and costs, you get net profit. Gross profit trends are often a good indicator of future profitability. If you have high gross profit margins, you have a better chance to cover overhead and make money.

LB Foster Profitability Drivers Correlations

One of the toughest challenges investors face today is learning how to quickly synthesize and read into endless financial statements and information provided by the company, SEC reporting, and various external parties. Understanding the correlation between LB Foster different financial indicators related to revenue and profit generation helps investors identify and prioritize their investing strategies towards LB Foster in a much-optimized way. Analyzing correlations between profit drivers that are directly associated with dollar figures is the most effective way to break down LB Foster's future profitability.

LB Foster Earnings Estimation Breakdown

The calculation of LB Foster's earning per share is based on the data from the past 12 consecutive months, used for reporting the company's financial figures. The next projected EPS of LB Foster is estimated to be -0.07 with the future projection ranging from a low of -0.07 to a high of -0.07. Please be aware that this consensus of annual earnings estimates for LB Foster is based on EPS before non-recurring items and includes expenses related to employee stock options.
Last Reported EPS
0.0
-0.07
Lowest
Expected EPS
-0.07
-0.07
Highest

LB Foster Earnings Projection Consensus

Suppose the current estimates of LB Foster's value are higher than the current market price of the LB Foster stock. In this case, investors may conclude that LB Foster is overpriced and will exhibit bullish sentiment. On the other hand, if the present value is lower than the stock price, analysts may conclude that the market undervalues the equity. These scenarios may suggest that the market is not as efficient as it should be at the estimation time, and LB Foster's stock will quickly adjusts to the new information provided by the consensus estimate.
Number of AnalystsHistorical AccuracyLast Reported EPSEstimated EPS for 31st of March 2026Current EPS (TTM)
123.84%
0.0
-0.07
0.45

LB Foster Earnings History

Earnings estimate consensus by LB Foster analysts from Wall Street is used by the market to judge LB Foster's stock performance. Investors also use these earnings estimates to evaluate and project the stock performance into the future in order to make their investment decisions. However, we recommend analyzing not only LB Foster's upcoming profit reports and earnings-per-share forecasts but also comparing them to our different valuation methods.

LB Foster Quarterly Gross Profit

31.07 Million

At this time, LB Foster's Retained Earnings Total Equity is relatively stable compared to the past year. As of 01/10/2026, Earnings Yield is likely to grow to 0.14, while Retained Earnings are likely to drop slightly above 114 M. As of 01/10/2026, Common Stock Shares Outstanding is likely to drop to about 11.3 M. In addition to that, Net Loss is likely to grow to about (39 M).
Sophisticated investors, who have witnessed many market ups and downs, anticipate that the market will even out over time. This tendency of LB Foster's price to converge to an average value over time is called mean reversion. However, historically, high market prices usually discourage investors that believe in mean reversion to invest, while low prices are viewed as an opportunity to buy.
Hype
Prediction
LowEstimatedHigh
26.2328.3530.47
Details
Intrinsic
Valuation
LowRealHigh
26.3628.4830.60
Details
Naive
Forecast
LowNextHigh
25.6327.7529.88
Details
1 Analysts
Consensus
LowTargetHigh
26.3929.0032.19
Details
Note that many institutional investors and large investment bankers can move markets due to the volume of FSTR assets they manage. They also follow analysts to some degree and often drive overall investor sentiments towards LB Foster. With so many stockholders watching consensus numbers, the difference between actual and projected earnings is one of the most critical factors driving LB Foster's stock price in the short term.

LB Foster Earnings per Share Projection vs Actual

Actual Earning per Share of LB Foster refers to what the company shows during its earnings calls or quarterly reports. The Expected EPS is what analysts covering LB Foster predict the company's earnings will be in the future. The higher the earnings per share of LB Foster, the better is its profitability. While calculating the Earning per Share, we use the weighted ratio, as the number of shares outstanding can change over time.

LB Foster Estimated Months Earnings per Share

For an investor who is primarily interested in generating an income out of investing in entities such as LB Foster, the EPS ratio can tell if the company is intending to increase its current dividend. Although EPS is an essential tool for investors, it should not be used in isolation. EPS of LB Foster should always be considered in relation to other companies to make a more educated investment decision.

FSTR Quarterly Analyst Estimates and Surprise Metrics

Earnings surprises can significantly impact LB Foster's stock price both in the short term and over time. Negative earnings surprises usually result in a price decline. However, it has been seen that positive earnings surprises lead to an immediate rise in a stock's price and a gradual increase over time. This is why we often hear news about some companies beating earning projections. Financial analysts spend a large amount of time predicting earnings per share (EPS) along with other important future indicators. Many analysts use forecasting models, management guidance, and additional fundamental information to derive an EPS estimate.
Reported
Fiscal Date
Estimated EPS
Reported EPS
Surprise
null
nullnullnullnull
2025-11-03
2025-09-300.610.4-0.2134 
2025-08-11
2025-06-300.590.27-0.3254 
2025-05-05
2025-03-310.01-0.2002-0.21022102 
2025-03-03
2024-12-310.12-0.02-0.14116 
2024-11-07
2024-09-300.483.272.79581 
2024-08-06
2024-06-300.470.26-0.2144 
2024-05-07
2024-03-31-0.020.40.422100 
2024-03-05
2023-12-310.01-0.04-0.05500 
2023-11-07
2023-09-300.250.05-0.280 
2023-08-08
2023-06-300.270.320.0518 
2023-05-09
2023-03-31-0.15-0.2-0.0533 
2023-03-06
2022-12-310.03-4.09-4.1213733 
2022-11-08
2022-09-300.060.310.25416 
2022-08-09
2022-06-300.180.180.0
2022-05-10
2022-03-31-0.02-0.15-0.13650 
2022-03-01
2021-12-310.19-0.03-0.22115 
2021-11-02
2021-09-300.250.22-0.0312 
2021-08-03
2021-06-300.310.27-0.0412 
2021-05-03
2021-03-31-0.06-0.12-0.06100 
2021-03-02
2020-12-310.160.20.0425 
2020-11-04
2020-09-300.10.07-0.0330 
2020-08-04
2020-06-30-0.070.410.48685 
2020-05-05
2020-03-310.37-0.18-0.55148 
2020-02-25
2019-12-310.410.08-0.3380 
2019-10-29
2019-09-300.450.29-0.1635 
2019-07-30
2019-06-300.520.90.3873 
2019-05-09
2019-03-310.130.350.22169 
2019-03-18
2018-12-310.470.21-0.2655 
2016-11-07
2016-09-300.14-0.58-0.72514 
2016-08-09
2016-06-300.19-0.11-0.3157 
2016-05-03
2016-03-31-0.07-0.28-0.21300 
2016-03-01
2015-12-310.220.19-0.0313 
2015-11-09
2015-09-300.680.67-0.01
2015-08-04
2015-06-300.970.55-0.4243 
2015-05-06
2015-03-310.430.41-0.02
2015-03-03
2014-12-310.650.850.230 
2014-11-04
2014-09-301.020.88-0.1413 
2014-08-04
2014-06-300.860.930.07
2014-05-05
2014-03-310.530.35-0.1833 
2014-02-27
2013-12-310.610.710.116 
2013-11-05
2013-09-300.880.950.07
2013-08-06
2013-06-300.970.71-0.2626 
2013-04-30
2013-03-310.40.480.0820 
2013-02-08
2012-12-310.70.67-0.03
2012-11-01
2012-09-300.891.00.1112 
2012-08-08
2012-06-300.90.87-0.03
2012-05-01
2012-03-310.260.330.0726 
2012-02-23
2011-12-310.670.6-0.0710 
2011-11-01
2011-09-300.740.950.2128 
2011-08-04
2011-06-300.670.61-0.06
2011-05-02
2011-03-310.590.07-0.5288 
2011-02-24
2010-12-310.60.60.0
2010-10-26
2010-09-300.550.630.0814 
2010-07-27
2010-06-300.330.580.2575 
2010-04-22
2010-03-310.260.17-0.0934 
2010-01-29
2009-12-310.310.380.0722 
2009-10-23
2009-09-300.390.60.2153 
2009-07-28
2009-06-300.40.26-0.1435 
2009-04-23
2009-03-310.270.290.02
2009-01-30
2008-12-310.490.550.0612 
2008-10-23
2008-09-300.660.760.115 
2008-07-24
2008-06-300.630.690.06
2008-04-24
2008-03-310.340.360.02
2008-01-31
2007-12-310.40.810.41102 
2007-10-25
2007-09-300.490.640.1530 
2007-07-26
2007-06-300.380.630.2565 
2007-04-26
2007-03-310.150.280.1386 
2007-01-31
2006-12-310.20.270.0735 
2006-10-26
2006-09-300.30.320.02
2006-07-28
2006-06-300.210.290.0838 
2006-04-27
2006-03-310.080.110.0337 

Use LB Foster in pair-trading

One of the main advantages of trading using pair correlations is that every trade hedges away some risk. Because there are two separate transactions required, even if LB Foster position performs unexpectedly, the other equity can make up some of the losses. Pair trading also minimizes risk from directional movements in the market. For example, if an entire industry or sector drops because of unexpected headlines, the short position in LB Foster will appreciate offsetting losses from the drop in the long position's value.

LB Foster Pair Trading

LB Foster Pair Trading Analysis

The ability to find closely correlated positions to LB Foster could be a great tool in your tax-loss harvesting strategies, allowing investors a quick way to find a similar-enough asset to replace LB Foster when you sell it. If you don't do this, your portfolio allocation will be skewed against your target asset allocation. So, investors can't just sell and buy back LB Foster - that would be a violation of the tax code under the "wash sale" rule, and this is why you need to find a similar enough asset and use the proceeds from selling LB Foster to buy it.
The correlation of LB Foster is a statistical measure of how it moves in relation to other instruments. This measure is expressed in what is known as the correlation coefficient, which ranges between -1 and +1. A perfect positive correlation (i.e., a correlation coefficient of +1) implies that as LB Foster moves, either up or down, the other security will move in the same direction. Alternatively, perfect negative correlation means that if LB Foster moves in either direction, the perfectly negatively correlated security will move in the opposite direction. If the correlation is 0, the equities are not correlated; they are entirely random. A correlation greater than 0.8 is generally described as strong, whereas a correlation less than 0.5 is generally considered weak.
Correlation analysis and pair trading evaluation for LB Foster can also be used as hedging techniques within a particular sector or industry or even over random equities to generate a better risk-adjusted return on your portfolios.
Pair CorrelationCorrelation Matching

Use Investing Themes to Complement your LB Foster position

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Copper Theme
Companies involved in production of copper. The Copper theme has 44 constituents at this time.
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Additional Tools for FSTR Stock Analysis

When running LB Foster's price analysis, check to measure LB Foster's market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy LB Foster is operating at the current time. Most of LB Foster's value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of LB Foster's future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move LB Foster's price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of LB Foster to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.