Ascent Industries (ACNT) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $150.77M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 83.67K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 173.3
• Beta (1Y): <0.01
• Revenue Growth: -29.03%
• EPS Growth: N/A
• Country: US
• Employees: 451
• Sector: Basic Materials
• Sector Strength: 58
• Industry: Steel
• EPS (TTM): -0.20
• Shares Outstanding: 9,364,814
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 78,101
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 83,666
• PEG Ratio: 0.06
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.21
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.64
• P/FCF Ratio: 8.83
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 0.53
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.77
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 3.51
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 31.40
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): 0.83
• Revenue Forecast (FY): $214.00M

• Rating: 64 Neutral
• Price Target: $17.00 ▲(18.88% Upside)

Ascent Industries' overall stock score reflects a mix of positive technical momentum and strategic corporate actions, offset by financial challenges and high valuation concerns. The company's efforts to improve operational efficiency and strategic capital allocation are promising, but financial performance remains a key area for improvement.

Positive Factors

Strategic Partnerships

These partnerships enhance market presence and revenue potential by leveraging combined expertise to create innovative solutions, supporting long-term growth.

Cost Management

Reducing rent obligations by $2.1 million annually strengthens the earnings profile and cash flow, supporting sustainable financial health.

Cash Position

A strong cash position with no debt provides financial flexibility for strategic investments and resilience against market fluctuations.

Negative Factors

Revenue Decline

Year-over-year revenue decline indicates challenges in maintaining market share and growth, potentially impacting long-term financial stability.

Profitability Issues

Ongoing profitability challenges suggest difficulties in cost efficiency and competitive positioning, which may hinder future earnings growth.

Cash Flow Challenges

Negative free cash flow growth indicates potential difficulties in sustaining cash reserves, which could limit investment in growth opportunities.

Ascent Industries Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Ascent Industries (ACNT) is a diversified company operating primarily in the manufacturing and technology sectors. The company specializes in producing advanced materials and components for various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and electronics. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, Ascent Industries offers a range of products such as high-performance composites, precision-engineered parts, and smart technology solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and product performance.

How the Company Makes Money

Ascent Industries generates revenue through multiple streams, primarily from the sale of its advanced materials and components to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) across its target sectors. The company has established long-term contracts with key clients, which provide a stable income base. Additionally, Ascent Industries invests in research and development to create innovative products that meet emerging market demands, thus expanding its product portfolio and attracting new customers. The company also engages in strategic partnerships with technology firms to co-develop solutions, further enhancing its market presence and revenue potential. Other significant revenue sources may include licensing agreements and consulting services related to material science and engineering expertise.

Ascent Industries Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Ascent Industries faces challenges with declining revenues and profitability pressures. Despite improved leverage, operational inefficiencies impact profitability and cash flow. The company needs to enhance cost management and revenue growth to stabilize its financial position.

Income Statement

Ascent Industries has faced significant revenue decline, with a TTM revenue drop of 18.3%. Despite a slight improvement in gross profit margin to 21.8%, the company struggles with profitability, evidenced by a negative EBIT margin of -3.2% and a low net profit margin of 0.8%. The steel industry is highly competitive, and these figures suggest challenges in maintaining cost efficiency and market share.

Balance Sheet

The company's debt-to-equity ratio has improved to 0.24, indicating better leverage management. However, the return on equity remains negative at -3.5%, reflecting ongoing profitability issues. The equity ratio stands at 72.6%, suggesting a solid capital structure, but the negative ROE highlights the need for improved operational performance.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow has decreased, with a TTM operating cash flow to net income ratio of 0.64, indicating moderate cash generation relative to net income. Free cash flow growth is negative at -35.4%, pointing to challenges in sustaining cash reserves. The free cash flow to net income ratio of 0.80 suggests some efficiency in converting income to cash, but overall cash flow stability is a concern.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	103.75M	177.87M	193.18M	261.99M	334.71M	256.00M
Gross Profit	22.68M	22.11M	1.53M	43.29M	60.77M	22.65M
EBITDA	2.54M	2.78M	-29.17M	23.03M	37.33M	-19.26M
Net Income	879.00K	-13.60M	-26.63M	22.07M	20.25M	-27.27M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	119.89M	147.25M	163.29M	269.04M	266.00M	206.98M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	58.04M	16.11M	1.85M	1.44M	2.02M	236.00K
Total Debt	21.45M	33.27M	32.83M	102.88M	102.74M	94.19M
Total Liabilities	32.80M	53.70M	55.88M	134.78M	154.41M	126.69M
Stockholders Equity	87.09M	93.55M	107.41M	134.26M	111.59M	80.30M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	6.34M	12.79M	20.19M	2.18M	17.56M	14.23M
Operating Cash Flow	8.04M	14.68M	23.08M	5.58M	19.05M	17.98M
Investing Cash Flow	50.83M	905.00K	50.50M	-4.97M	-32.66M	994.00K
Financing Cash Flow	-9.38M	-1.33M	-73.17M	-1.18M	15.39M	-19.36M

Ascent Industries Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 14.30
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ACNT, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 14.3 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 15.25, above the 50-day MA of 13.76, and above the 200-day MA of 12.92, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.62 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 66.88 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 50.93 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ACNT.

Ascent Industries Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
MSB	80 Outperform	$470.22M	27.51	29.57%	19.32%	-78.78%	-81.27%
FRD	69 Neutral	$145.94M	12.65	8.47%	0.75%	8.72%	43.14%
ACNT	64 Neutral	$150.77M	173.28	-3.84%	―	-29.03%	―
Sector *	61 Neutral	$10.43B	7.12	-0.05%	2.87%	2.86%	-36.73%
ZEUS	61 Neutral	$496.28M	38.33	2.40%	1.42%	-5.64%	-48.34%
HUDI	53 Neutral	$17.92M	-34.25	-0.69%	―	-20.24%	-119.83%

Ascent Industries Corporate Events

Ascent Industries Launches New Buyback and Trading Plan

On December 16, 2025, Ascent Industries Co.’s board authorized a new stock repurchase program permitting the company to buy back up to 2.0 million shares of its common stock over a two-year period ending December 16, 2027, funded from available working capital, with repurchased shares to be held in treasury or returned to authorized but unissued status; the new authorization, which supersedes a February 18, 2025 program under which nearly 75% of the authorized shares had already been repurchased, came after Ascent had already retired about 7.2% of its outstanding shares through the end of the third quarter of 2025. On December 19, 2025, the company also adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, effective through March 4, 2026, to facilitate daily, price-target-based repurchases of up to the total 2.0 million shares even during blackout periods, reinforcing management’s view that the current valuation undervalues the company’s earnings potential and underscoring a capital allocation strategy that balances organic investment, M&A, balance-sheet strength, and returns to shareholders.

Ascent Industries Amends Credit Facility Agreement

On December 10, 2025, Ascent Industries Co. entered into a Credit Facility Amendment with BMO Bank N.A. and other lenders, allowing for the assignment of a lease for its former tubular facility and internal restructuring of its chemical manufacturing businesses. The amendment also includes a limited waiver for a previous event of default related to share repurchase, preventing lenders from accelerating obligations.

Ascent Industries Presents Investor Presentation on Financial Measures

On December 9, 2025, Ascent Industries Co. presented an investor presentation that included non-GAAP financial measures to provide a more comprehensive view of its operations. The company emphasized the utility of these measures in evaluating shareholder value and operational performance. Since the installation of a new management team in 2024, Ascent has seen significant improvements, including an increase in adjusted EBITDA and gross profit, as well as strategic asset sales to optimize its portfolio. These efforts are part of Ascent’s strategy to maximize its owned assets and serve high-value segments with precision and technical support.

Ascent Industries Amends Lease, Cuts Annual Costs

On November 14, 2025, Ascent Industries Co. and STORE Master Funding XII, LLC amended their lease agreement to remove the Munhall facility, reducing Ascent’s rent obligations. Subsequently, Ascent announced the lease assignment of its former tubular facility in Munhall, Pennsylvania, effective November 14, 2025, eliminating $2.1 million in annual costs. This strategic move is part of Ascent’s efforts to strengthen its earnings profile and cash flow, supporting the growth of its Chemicals-as-a-Service platform.