Ascent Industries (ACNT)
NASDAQ:ACNT
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Ascent Industries
(NASDAQ:ACNT)
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Rating:50Neutral
Price Target:
$14.00
▼(-2.10% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/19/26
ACNT scores in the middle primarily because financial performance is currently weak (losses and recently negative cash flow), partially offset by low leverage and a more optimistic earnings-call setup focused on margin recovery and an accretive acquisition. Technicals are neutral-to-mixed and valuation is constrained by negative earnings and no dividend yield data.
Positive Factors
Conservative balance sheet and liquidity
A strong cash position and minimal short-term leverage provide durable financial flexibility to fund integration, working capital and targeted investments. This liquidity buffer reduces solvency risk, supports capital allocation choices (M&A, buybacks) and gives time to execute margin recovery initiatives.
Negative Factors
Negative operating and free cash flow
Recent cash burn is a durable concern: negative operating and free cash flow reduce optionality for reinvestment, increase dependency on existing cash and credit, and raise execution risk if turnaround actions don’t restore positive cash generation. Persistent FCF deficits could force tradeoffs in capex or M&A.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Conservative balance sheet and liquidity
A strong cash position and minimal short-term leverage provide durable financial flexibility to fund integration, working capital and targeted investments. This liquidity buffer reduces solvency risk, supports capital allocation choices (M&A, buybacks) and gives time to execute margin recovery initiatives.
Read all positive factors
Ascent Industries (ACNT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$129.16M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)83.67K
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.14
Revenue Growth-51.72%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUS
Employees451
SectorBasic Materials
Sector Strength58
IndustrySteel
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.10
Shares Outstanding9,038,215
10 Day Avg. Volume78,101
30 Day Avg. Volume83,666
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.49
Price to Book (P/B)1.79
Price to Sales (P/S)2.08
P/FCF Ratio-75.68
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.74
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.25
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit5.75
Enterprise Value/Ebitda-27.80
Forecast
1Y Price TargetN/A
Price Target UpsideN/A
Rating ConsensusN/A
Number of Analyst Covering0
EPS Forecast (FY)N/A
Revenue Forecast (FY)N/A
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 ...
How the Company Makes Money
Ascent Industries primarily makes money by selling specialty chemical products through its Synalloy Chemicals segment. Revenue is generated from the manufacture and distribution of chemical formulations and related products sold to customers (typi...
Ascent Industries Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:May 06, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 11, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call conveyed a balanced picture: clear commercial momentum with revenue growth, significant pipeline expansion and a disciplined acquisition that adds immediate earnings quality, alongside a strong balance sheet and active capital allocation (buybacks and investments). However, near-term profitability was meaningfully pressured by operational conversion costs, timing/absorption effects, higher utilities and a deferred manufacturing variance that produced a YOY gross margin decline and an adjusted EBITDA loss. Management provided a specific, actionable plan to drive $3M–$5M incremental run-rate gross profit by Q4 2026 and expects margins to normalize into the low-20% range over the next one to two quarters, which moderates near-term concerns but retains execution risk.Positive Updates
Revenue Growth and Strong Monthly Performance
Net sales of $19.4M in Q1 2026, up 8.9% year-over-year and up 3.5% sequentially; March marked the strongest monthly sales since March 2023, indicating accelerating top-line momentum.
Negative Updates
Gross Margin Compression
Gross profit of $2.8M (14.5% of sales) in Q1 versus $3.1M (17.2%) prior year — a ~270 basis-point decline in gross margin and a ~$257K year-over-year decline in gross profit despite higher revenue.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Revenue Growth and Strong Monthly Performance
Net sales of $19.4M in Q1 2026, up 8.9% year-over-year and up 3.5% sequentially; March marked the strongest monthly sales since March 2023, indicating accelerating top-line momentum.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
The company’s guidance emphasized margin recovery and measurable near‑term actions: management expects more than $3.0–$5.0 million of incremental run‑rate gross profit improvement (majority realized by Q4 2026) and sees gross margins normalizing into the low‑20s over the next quarter or two with the long‑term 30% gross margin target unchanged; Q1 results providing the base included net sales of $19.4M (up 8.9% YoY, +3.5% sequential), pounds shipped +7.6%, ASP +5.2%, 31 projects converted across 27 customers (22% conversion rate, ~3.5‑month average sales cycle) representing ~$7.6M of annualized revenue, and a pipeline up 34% vs. end‑2025 (58% product / 42% custom); Q1 gross profit was $2.8M (14.5% of sales, ~270 bps YoY compression) with material costs at ~$0.61/lb (vs $0.71 in Q4 and $0.66 for FY2025), utilities a ~150–175 bps headwind, and deferred manufacturing variance ~ $600k (~290 bps); balance sheet and capital priorities: $47.8M cash at quarter end with no revolver debt, ~$9.8M cash decline driven by $3.9M buybacks (296K shares at $12.92 avg), ~$2.2M incentive comp, ~$3.2M working capital use and ~$400k capex, ~$14.2M revolver availability, and continued buyback optionality (since 1/1/25 ~1.18M shares repurchased for $14.9M at ~$12.61 avg, ~11–12% of share base); the Midwest acquisition (mid‑teens $M cash) brings ~ $10.8M 2025 revenue and ~ $2M adjusted EBITDA (~19–20% adj EBITDA margin, ~25% pre‑synergy gross margin), is expected to be immediately accretive to annual adjusted EBITDA with revenue phasing beginning in Q2, and management expects returns on near‑term investments in excess of 100% of capital.Ascent Industries Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
26
Negative
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Cash Flow
34
Negative
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2023 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 76.52M | 74.94M | 177.87M | 193.18M | 261.99M | 334.71M |
| Gross Profit | 16.68M | 16.95M | 22.11M | 1.53M | 43.29M | 60.77M |
| EBITDA | -3.45M | -2.52M | 2.78M | -29.17M | 23.03M | 37.33M |
| Net Income | 1.21M | -5.58M | -13.60M | -26.63M | 22.07M | 20.25M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 102.61M | 111.94M | 147.25M | 163.29M | 269.04M | 266.00M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 47.82M | 57.61M | 16.11M | 1.85M | 1.44M | 2.02M |
| Total Debt | 13.09M | 13.35M | 33.27M | 32.83M | 102.88M | 102.74M |
| Total Liabilities | 20.97M | 24.95M | 53.70M | 55.88M | 134.78M | 154.41M |
| Stockholders Equity | 81.64M | 86.99M | 93.55M | 107.41M | 134.26M | 111.59M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -6.89M | -2.06M | 12.79M | 20.19M | 2.18M | 17.56M |
| Operating Cash Flow | -5.25M | -519.00K | 14.68M | 23.08M | 5.58M | 19.05M |
| Investing Cash Flow | 51.13M | 50.98M | 905.00K | 50.50M | -4.97M | -32.66M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -12.33M | -8.96M | -1.33M | -73.17M | -1.18M | 15.39M |
Ascent Industries Technical Analysis
Positive
14.30
Price Trends
13.68
Positive
14.98
Negative
14.08
Positive
Market Momentum
0.04
Negative
56.19
Neutral
83.78
Negative
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 above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 14.25, above the 50-day MA of 13.68, and above the 200-day MA of 14.08, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.04 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 56.19 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 83.78 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ACNT.
Ascent Industries Risk Analysis
Ascent Industries disclosed 26 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Ascent Industries reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Ascent Industries Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 Neutral | $342.30M | 39.58 | 66.13% | 19.32% | -82.23% | -85.13% | |
61 Neutral | $10.43B | 7.12 | -0.05% | 2.87% | 2.86% | -36.73% | |
58 Neutral | $146.01M | 11.73 | 11.34% | 0.75% | 30.55% | 174.70% | |
53 Neutral | $34.29M | 39.31 | 1.85% | ― | 38.96% | ― | |
50 Neutral | $129.16M | -15.83 | 1.40% | ― | -51.72% | ― | |
48 Neutral | $16.16M | -3.15 | -1.85% | ― | -15.32% | -1106.19% |
* Basic Materials Sector Average
ACNT
Ascent Industries
14.45
1.96
15.69%
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28.21%
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Ascent Industries Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A TransactionsRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Ascent Showcases Turnaround Progress at LD Micro Invitational
Positive
May 18, 2026
In an investor presentation tied to the LD Micro Invitational XVI in May 2026, Ascent detailed its ongoing strategic turnaround since a new leadership team was installed in early 2024, highlighting improved performance from continuing operations, ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Ascent Industries Completes Strategic Acquisition Amid Q1 Results
Negative
May 6, 2026
Ascent Industries Co., based in Schaumburg, Illinois and listed on Nasdaq as ACNT, operates as a specialty chemicals platform providing differentiated, performance-driven chemical solutions. The company focuses on leveraging a flexible manufacturi...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesStock Buyback
Ascent Industries Expands Board and Adds Independent Directors
Positive
Apr 1, 2026
On March 31, 2026, Ascent Industries Co. expanded its Board of Directors from five to seven members and appointed specialty chemicals veterans Carmen J. Giannantonio and Jeremy F. Rohen as independent directors effective April 1, 2026. Both execut...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Ascent Highlights Turnaround and Non-GAAP Focus to Investors
Positive
Mar 23, 2026
On March 23, 2026, Ascent Industries representatives planned to present to investors using a new slide deck that prominently features non-GAAP metrics such as Adjusted EBITDA, alongside reconciliations to GAAP measures, underscoring managementR...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.