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Carpenter Technology Corp (CRS)
NYSE:CRS

Carpenter Technology (CRS) AI Stock Analysis

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CRS

Carpenter Technology

(NYSE:CRS)

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Outperform 78 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:78Outperform
Price Target:
$433.00
▲(10.33% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/18/26
The score is driven primarily by strong recent financial performance and bullish technicals, reinforced by an earnings call that raised guidance and highlighted sustained margin and demand momentum. The main restraint is valuation, with a high P/E and low dividend yield, plus some cyclical and segment-specific volatility risks.
Positive Factors
Sustained margin expansion
Sixteen consecutive quarters of SAO margin expansion to a record 33.1% indicates durable pricing power, productivity gains, and favorable product mix. For a specialty-alloys producer serving aerospace and defense, persistent higher margins reflect structural competitive advantage and the ability to capture long-term contract pricing.
Strong cash generation
Consistently elevated operating and free cash flow in the trailing period supports reinvestment, scheduled brownfield expansion, and shareholder returns. Reliable FCF at this scale improves balance sheet optionality and funds cyclical working-capital swings, strengthening medium-term financial resilience.
Improved liquidity and debt refinancing
Extended maturities and a larger revolver materially raise financial flexibility for capex and cyclical downturns. Lower near-term interest burden and ample liquidity reduce refinancing risk, enabling the company to execute growth projects and smooth cash flow through industry cycles.
Negative Factors
Cyclicality and uneven cash conversion
Carpenter operates in cyclical end markets; past negative earnings and only partial conversion of profit to free cash flow highlight vulnerability to demand downturns. Volatile FCF conversion can constrain investment or buybacks during recessions and makes multi‑year forecasting less certain.
Meaningful outstanding debt obligations
Although leverage improved, roughly $690M of debt and sizable scheduled capex for expansion keep fixed obligations elevated. In a cyclical industry, this level of debt can pressure cash flow and limit strategic flexibility if volumes or pricing soften.
PEP/medical segment weakness and concentration
Material softness in the PEP/medical distribution channel and concentrated titanium customers create downside risk in a smaller but volatile segment. Prolonged weakness or customer-specific demand drops can drag consolidated results and amplify cyclicality effects.

Carpenter Technology (CRS) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Carpenter Technology Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCarpenter Technology Corporation engages in the manufacture, fabrication, and distribution of specialty metals in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Mexico, Canada, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Specialty Alloys Operations and Performance Engineered Products. The company offers specialty alloys, including titanium alloys, powder metals, stainless steels, alloy steels, and tool steels, as well as additives, and metal powders and parts. It serves aerospace, defense, medical, transportation, energy, industrial, and consumer markets. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
How the Company Makes MoneyCarpenter Technology generates revenue primarily through the sale of specialty alloys and metal products to various industries, including aerospace, defense, and medical sectors. The company has a diversified revenue model that includes direct sales, long-term contracts, and agreements with key customers. Significant revenue streams come from the production of high-performance materials that are often used in critical applications. Additionally, Carpenter Technology benefits from strategic partnerships with major players in its target industries, enabling it to access a wider market and enhance its product offerings. The company also invests in research and development to innovate and improve its product lines, further driving revenue growth through the introduction of new, high-demand materials.

Carpenter Technology Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jan 29, 2026
(Q2-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 23, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasized strong operational and financial momentum: record quarterly operating income, sustained SAO margin expansion, significant aerospace order momentum, favorable pricing via long-term agreements, robust cash generation, strengthened liquidity and a brownfield expansion on schedule. Weaknesses were concentrated and manageable: sequential sales softness (timing/mix), a notable shortfall in the PEP/medical distribution channel, and near-term volatility in defense and energy order timing. Management raised FY2026 guidance and reiterated confidence in continued margin and earnings expansion, while noting some quarter-to-quarter variability driven by mix and industry supply constraints.
Q2-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Quarterly Operating Income
Operating income of $155.2M in the quarter, a record and a 31% increase year-over-year. Adjusted diluted EPS was $2.33 for the quarter.
SAO Segment Margin Expansion and Record Profitability
SAO adjusted operating margin reached a record 33.1% (versus 28.3% a year ago and 32.0% last quarter). SAO operating income was $174.6M, up 29% year-over-year and a new all-time high. This marked the sixteenth consecutive quarter of margin expansion.
Top-Line Growth Year-over-Year
Total sales excluding raw material surcharge increased 8% year-over-year, driven by a ~5% increase in volume year-over-year.
Strengthening Aerospace Demand and Order Momentum
Bookings for the aerospace & defense end-use market increased 8% sequentially; commercial aerospace bookings rose 23% sequentially; aerospace engine order intake increased 30% sequentially—the fourth consecutive quarter of sequential aerospace order increases.
Pricing Tailwind and Long-Term Agreements
Pricing continued to be a positive tailwind; company completed three additional long-term agreements with aerospace customers in the quarter featuring significant price increases, and management expects pricing actions to remain favorable given supply-demand dynamics.
Improved Gross Profit
Gross profit increased to $218.3M, up 23% year-over-year and slightly up sequentially, reflecting productivity, product mix optimization and pricing benefits.
Strong Cash Generation and Capital Allocation
Generated $132.2M cash from operations; spent $46.3M on CapEx; adjusted free cash flow of $85.9M in the quarter. Company expects at least $280M of adjusted free cash flow for fiscal 2026, repurchased $32.1M of shares in the quarter (total $183.1M to date vs $400M authorization), and continues a recurring dividend.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity Strengthened
Refinanced long-term debt to extend maturities to 2034 and reduce interest, increased revolving credit facility from $350M to $500M, and ended the quarter with total liquidity of $730.8M (cash $231.9M + $498.9M available borrowings). Net debt/EBITDA remains well below 1x.
Brownfield Capacity Expansion On Track
Brownfield expansion (new vacuum induction melting furnace) is on budget and on schedule. Project plans to add ~9,000 tons (~7% vs 2019 shipments). FY26 CapEx guidance includes $175M–$185M for the expansion and total CapEx guidance of $300M–$315M.
Raised Fiscal 2026 Earnings Guidance
Management raised full-year fiscal 2026 operating income guidance to $680M–$700M (implying a ~30%–33% increase versus record fiscal 2025).
Negative Updates
Sequential Sales Decline
Net sales excluding surcharge were down 2% sequentially despite higher sequential volume (sales were impacted by available operating days, planned maintenance and customer holiday schedules).
PEP Segment Weakness (Medical/Titanium Distribution)
PEP net sales were $77.2M, down 11% sequentially and down 10% year-over-year due primarily to lower titanium demand from specific medical distribution customers. PEP operating income fell to $0.9M in the quarter (from prior-period levels), materially reducing PEP profitability.
Medical End-Use Softness
Medical end-use market sales were down 7% sequentially and down 22% year-over-year, concentrated in certain titanium products sold to distribution customers; this negatively impacted the smaller PEP segment.
Energy and Defense Near-Term Volatility
Energy end-use sales were down 10% sequentially (though up 19% year-over-year) due to order timing and strategic slotting; defense submarket orders declined materially in the quarter due to a government shutdown (management noted these orders are returning but near-term timing caused weakness).
Quarter-to-Quarter Mix and Pricing Variability
Management cautioned that product mix (affected by maintenance and scheduling) can cause quarter-to-quarter variability in reported selling price per pound and occasionally flat or modestly lower margins in some quarters despite the underlying positive pricing trend.
Industry Supply-Demand Constraints Remain Large
While pricing benefits from constrained supply, management acknowledged that industry-wide qualified nickel-based superalloy capacity has not meaningfully increased since 2019 and Carpenter’s planned ~7% capacity add is small relative to projected demand increases—implying potential constraints in fulfilling accelerating demand and ongoing volatility.
Company Guidance
Management raised fiscal 2026 operating income guidance to $680–$700 million (up from $660–$700), implying ~30%–33% growth vs. record FY2025, and reaffirmed the prior FY2027 target of $765–$800 million with intent to exceed it; near-term operating income build for the upcoming quarter was outlined as SAO $195–$200M, PEP ≈$7M and corporate ≈$25M (total ~$177–$182M). Key operating metrics: Q2 operating income was a record $155.2M (+31% YoY) with adjusted EPS $2.33; SAO Q2 net sales (ex-surcharge) were $527.3M (+10% YoY, +5% volume YoY) with a record SAO adjusted operating margin of 33.1% and SAO operating income $174.6M; PEP Q2 sales were $77.2M (‑11% seq., ‑10% YoY) with operating income ~$0.9M. Financial and cash guidance: Q2 cash from operations $132.2M, Q2 capex $46.3M and adjusted free cash flow $85.9M, with at least $280M of adjusted FCF expected for FY2026; full‑year capex $300–$315M including $175–$185M for the brownfield expansion; liquidity totaled $730.8M (cash $231.9M + $498.9M revolver), net debt/EBITDA well below 1x, and $32.1M of buybacks in the quarter ($183.1M of $400M authorization to date). Tax and cost assumptions: Q2 effective tax rate 19% (discrete benefit), expect 22%–23% for the balance of the year and full‑year near the low end of prior 21%–23% guidance; corporate costs targeted at about $25M.

Carpenter Technology Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Fundamentals are strong in the most recent period, with a sharp earnings turnaround, significant margin expansion, and materially higher operating/free cash flow. Offsetting factors are cyclicality (prior-year losses and historically uneven free cash flow) and only moderate cash conversion versus net income.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
CRS shows a strong multi-year earnings turnaround and clear margin expansion. In TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months), revenue is $2.94B and profitability is robust with ~28% gross margin, ~20% operating margin, and ~14% net margin, up materially versus FY2023–FY2024. The main offset is that the reported TTM revenue growth rate is unusually high (suggesting potential volatility or a non-recurring surge), and the company’s history includes weak/negative profitability in FY2021–FY2022, which raises cyclicality risk even though current performance is strong.
Balance Sheet
74
Positive
Leverage is moderate and improving, with debt-to-equity down from ~0.53 (FY2022) to ~0.37 in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months). Equity has grown meaningfully over time (from ~$1.33B in FY2022 to ~$1.99B in TTM), and returns have improved sharply with return on equity at ~23% in TTM. The key watch item is that total debt remains sizable (~$690M TTM), so the balance sheet is solid but still carries meaningful financial obligations for a cyclical manufacturing business.
Cash Flow
79
Positive
Cash generation is strong in the most recent period, with TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) operating cash flow of ~$504M and free cash flow of ~$317M, improving from FY2024–FY2025 levels and showing strong free cash flow growth in TTM. However, free cash flow is only about ~61% of net income in TTM (and ~65% in FY2025), indicating that earnings are not fully converting to free cash flow. The longer track record is also mixed, including negative free cash flow in FY2022–FY2023, which suggests cash flow can be volatile across the cycle.
BreakdownTTMJun 2025Jun 2024Jun 2023Jun 2022Jun 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue2.94B2.88B2.76B2.55B1.84B1.48B
Gross Profit849.50M768.60M584.30M337.30M149.80M1.00M
EBITDA732.40M670.40M411.60M267.60M113.20M-140.70M
Net Income434.90M376.00M186.50M56.40M-49.10M-229.60M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets3.50B3.49B3.29B3.05B2.93B2.97B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments231.90M315.50M199.10M44.50M154.20M287.40M
Total Debt698.70M738.30M741.40M745.70M744.40M739.00M
Total Liabilities1.52B1.60B1.66B1.66B1.60B1.58B
Stockholders Equity1.99B1.89B1.63B1.40B1.33B1.39B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow316.70M286.10M178.30M-67.60M-85.30M149.50M
Operating Cash Flow503.70M440.40M274.90M14.70M6.00M250.00M
Investing Cash Flow-185.60M-152.90M-95.90M-82.30M-89.10M-78.90M
Financing Cash Flow-245.20M-167.10M-23.30M-40.10M-52.80M-76.10M

Carpenter Technology Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price392.47
Price Trends
50DMA
340.47
Positive
100DMA
317.15
Positive
200DMA
283.90
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
15.19
Negative
RSI
67.15
Neutral
STOCH
78.74
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CRS, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 392.47 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 357.39, above the 50-day MA of 340.47, and above the 200-day MA of 283.90, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 15.19 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 67.15 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 78.74 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CRS.

Carpenter Technology Risk Analysis

Carpenter Technology disclosed 23 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Carpenter Technology 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

Carpenter Technology Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
79
Outperform
$4.03B12.6327.38%0.67%1.55%701.41%
79
Outperform
$13.33B17.2425.58%0.85%15.71%29.60%
78
Outperform
$19.55B44.7223.48%0.24%2.40%81.54%
71
Outperform
$7.61B33.3213.86%0.33%1.19%-7.78%
70
Outperform
$2.79B26.2511.31%1.27%7.43%148.83%
69
Neutral
$22.05B56.4622.12%7.75%6.84%
63
Neutral
$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CRS
Carpenter Technology
395.61
197.11
99.30%
ATI
ATI
160.02
103.29
182.07%
AZZ
AZZ
134.35
38.48
40.13%
MLI
Mueller Industries
118.59
39.78
50.48%
WOR
Worthington Industries
57.12
15.48
37.18%
ESAB
ESAB Corporation
124.78
0.60
0.48%

Carpenter Technology Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Carpenter Technology Details Planned CEO Leadership Transition
Positive
Feb 17, 2026

On February 12, 2026, Carpenter Technology announced that Chief Executive Officer Tony R. Thene had submitted his resignation from the CEO role effective July 1, 2026, and would transition to Executive Chairman of the Board on that date, maintaining an active role in strategy and stakeholder relationships. On the same day, the board appointed current President and Chief Operating Officer Brian Malloy to become President and Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2026, emphasizing his decade-long leadership in commercial and operational roles and noting there were no related-party conflicts in his selection.

In a February 17, 2026 announcement, the board and senior leaders framed the CEO transition as a planned handover designed to preserve continuity in Carpenter Technology’s growth strategy and operational discipline. Directors highlighted the depth of the management bench and portrayed Malloy’s promotion, alongside Thene’s shift to Executive Chairman, as a move that strengthens strategic oversight and positions the company to build on its momentum and reinforce its leading position in high-value specialty alloy markets.

The leadership change signals a continuation rather than a reset of Carpenter Technology’s strategic direction, centering on serving high-performance, high-value markets and supporting advanced technologies for aerospace, defense, energy, and other critical sectors. Stakeholders are being reassured that the company’s culture of performance, zero-injury focus, and customer partnership will remain intact under Malloy, as the transition keeps the outgoing CEO closely involved while elevating an internal successor with deep business knowledge.

The most recent analyst rating on (CRS) stock is a Buy with a $431.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Carpenter Technology stock, see the CRS Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Carpenter Technology Completes $700 Million Senior Notes Offering
Positive
Nov 20, 2025

On November 20, 2025, Carpenter Technology Corporation completed a $700 million private offering of 5.625% senior notes due 2034, intending to use the proceeds to redeem its 6.375% and 7.625% senior notes due 2028 and 2030, respectively. Additionally, the company amended its credit agreement, increasing its revolving commitments to $500 million and extending the maturity date to 2030, which could enhance its financial flexibility and operational capacity.

The most recent analyst rating on (CRS) stock is a Buy with a $380.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Carpenter Technology stock, see the CRS Stock Forecast page.

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.Date of analysis: Feb 18, 2026