Company Overview
Core & Main, Inc. operates as a distributor specializing in water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products alongside related services throughout the United States. The company functions within the Industrials sector, specifically the Industrial Distribution industry, providing essential infrastructure components such as pipes, valves, hydrants, and fittings for the service, repair, and replacement of underground water systems. With a market capitalization of $9.38 billion, an annual revenue of $7.76 billion, and an employee base of 5,700, the firm represents a substantial entity within its niche. These valuation and revenue figures indicate that Core & Main, Inc. holds a significant position in the industrial distribution landscape, suggesting a stable and established operational footprint that supports its role as a primary provider of critical utility infrastructure solutions.
Financial Health
The company reported a trailing twelve-month revenue of $7.76 billion, generating net income of $435.00 million and EBITDA of $922.00 million. The substantial gap between the $7.76 billion in revenue and the $435.00 million in net income reveals a cost structure characterized by significant operating expenses, which is typical for distribution businesses where margins are maintained through high volume rather than product markup. The free cash flow stands at $481.62 million, indicating that the company generates sufficient cash after capital expenditures to fund operations, reduce debt, or return capital, thereby ensuring financial flexibility. Analyzing the three key margins, the gross margin is 26.8%, the operating margin is 10.7%, and the profit margin is 5.6%, indicating that for every dollar of revenue, the company retains 5.6 cents as profit after all expenses, including interest and taxes. The total cash balance is $105.00 million against total debt of $2.46 billion, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 119.51, which suggests the balance sheet is heavily leveraged rather than conservative. Despite the high leverage, the current ratio is 2.27, indicating that the company holds 2.27 times more current assets than current liabilities, which points to strong short-term liquidity and the ability to meet immediate obligations. Furthermore, the Return on Equity is 24.0% and the Return on Assets is 7.3%, metrics that reveal management is highly effective at generating returns for shareholders relative to the equity invested, while also utilizing the asset base efficiently to produce earnings.
Valuation Assessment
The trailing twelve-month P/E ratio is 20.83, while the forward P/E is 18.43, implying that the market expects earnings growth in the future that would justify a lower multiple compared to current historical earnings. The price-to-book ratio stands at 4.56, indicating that the market values the company at a significant premium over its book value, likely reflecting the intangible nature of its distribution network and customer relationships. Alternative valuation metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio of 1.21 and an EV/EBITDA of 12.36 provide additional context, suggesting the company trades at a reasonable multiple relative to its sales and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Regarding price volatility, the 52-week high is $67.18 and the 52-week low is $43.17, meaning the current trading price sits within this established range, though the specific current price is not provided in the data to calculate an exact percentage deviation. The beta value is 0.98, which means the stock's price volatility closely mirrors that of the broader market, exhibiting neither significant defensive stability nor aggressive amplification of market swings.
Growth & Income
Revenue growth for the year over year is 1.2%, while earnings growth is 4.6%, indicating that earnings are growing faster than revenue, which often implies improved operational efficiency or margin expansion rather than top-line volume growth. As the dividend yield is listed as N/A and the payout ratio is 0.0%, the company does not pay dividends, meaning it reinvests its earnings into business growth, debt reduction, or share buybacks rather than returning cash directly to shareholders. This absence of a dividend payout suggests a corporate strategy focused on internal capital allocation and long-term expansion within the industrial distribution sector. Overall, the growth and income profile is defined by consistent double-digit earnings growth outpacing revenue expansion and a complete absence of dividend income, relying instead on capital appreciation and operational leverage to drive shareholder value.