James Cropper (CRPR) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: £30.58M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 6.59K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 3.8
• Beta (1Y): 0.65
• Revenue Growth: 4.99%
• EPS Growth: 56.79%
• Country: UK
• Employees: 600
• Sector: Basic Materials
• Sector Strength: 58
• Industry: Paper, Lumber & Forest Products
• EPS (TTM): 0.21
• Shares Outstanding: 9,554,803
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 5,968
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 6,589
• PEG Ratio: -0.08
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.67
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.14
• P/FCF Ratio: 2.42
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): 0.34
• Revenue Forecast (FY): £96.76M

• Rating: 60 Neutral
• Price Target: 320.00 p ▼(-18.99% Downside)
• Action: Reiterated Date: 12/07/25
• Date: Action: Reiterated 12/07/25

James Cropper's stock score is primarily supported by strong technical momentum and positive corporate events. However, financial performance challenges, particularly in profitability and valuation concerns due to negative earnings, weigh down the score.

Positive Factors

High Gross Margin

A 64.36% gross margin signals strong production efficiency and pricing power in specialty paper and fiber products. Sustained high gross margins provide a durable buffer to absorb SG&A and R&D, aiding recovery to profitability if operating leverage improves.

Improving Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow rising ~96% shows the company is converting revenues into cash more effectively despite accounting losses. Durable cash generation supports deleveraging, targeted capex in advanced materials, and funding bespoke customer programs without heavy external financing.

Niche, Bespoke Business Model

Focus on specialty papers, luxury packaging and engineered fiber solutions creates durable competitive advantages: bespoke products, technical know‑how and sustainability credentials that command premiums and foster long-term, sticky B2B customer relationships.

Negative Factors

Negative Profitability

Negative net and operating margins indicate persistent profitability issues. Continued losses can erode equity, limit reinvestment and impede the company's ability to reduce leverage; margin recovery will require structural cost control or sustained higher-margin volume.

High Leverage

A debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15 creates financial rigidity for a specialty manufacturer with weak earnings. Elevated leverage raises interest burden and refinancing risk, constrains capital allocation for innovation or expansion, and increases vulnerability in downturns.

Modest Revenue Growth

Revenue growth of ~3% is modest for a company seeking scale benefits. Slow top-line momentum limits the pace at which fixed costs are absorbed and margin recovery achieved, increasing dependence on price premiums or new product wins to drive durable improvement.

James Cropper Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

James Cropper PLC manufactures and sells papers products and advanced materials. It operates through Paper, Colourform, and Technical Fibre Products segments. The company offers specialty papers and boards; and moulded fiber products, as well as converts paper. It also manufactures nonwovens material used in zero solutions, aerospace and defense, fire protection, construction, and transportation. It has operations in the United Kingdom, other European countries, Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Africa. James Cropper PLC was founded in 1845 and is headquartered in Kendal, the United Kingdom.

How the Company Makes Money

James Cropper makes money primarily by selling specialty paper and fiber-based materials to business customers. Key revenue streams include (1) specialty paper products (e.g., premium and decorative papers used in luxury packaging, branded materials, and other high-end paper applications) sold on a per-order/contract basis, and (2) advanced materials/fiber solutions where the company supplies engineered fiber materials for industrial uses. Revenue is generated through manufacturing and converting these materials and supplying them either as standard product ranges or as customer-specific, made-to-order specifications (often allowing for premium pricing driven by performance, aesthetics, sustainability credentials, or bespoke requirements). Information on specific customer contracts, pricing terms, and named partnerships is null.

James Cropper Financial Statement Overview

Summary

James Cropper faces challenges in profitability and leverage, with negative net income and high debt levels. However, positive cash flow growth indicates improved cash generation capabilities, which could support future improvements.

Income Statement

James Cropper's income statement shows a mixed performance. The company has experienced a slight revenue growth of 3.07% in the most recent year, but profitability metrics are concerning. The gross profit margin remains strong at 64.36%, indicating efficient production, but the net profit margin is negative at -5.30%, reflecting significant losses. EBIT and EBITDA margins are also negative, suggesting operational challenges. The company needs to address its cost structure to improve profitability.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reveals a moderate financial position. The debt-to-equity ratio is 1.15, indicating a relatively high level of leverage, which could pose risks if earnings do not improve. Return on equity is negative, reflecting the company's recent losses. However, the equity ratio is reasonable, suggesting a stable asset base. The company should focus on reducing debt and improving equity returns.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis shows some positive trends. Free cash flow has grown significantly by 96.04%, indicating improved cash generation capabilities. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is 0.40, suggesting that cash flows are more stable than accounting profits. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio is 0.74, indicating that not all cash flows are translating into net income. Continued focus on cash flow management is essential.

Breakdown	TTM	Mar 2024	Mar 2023	Mar 2022	Mar 2021	Mar 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	101.19M	99.34M	102.97M	129.66M	104.92M	78.77M
Gross Profit	23.72M	63.93M	65.58M	28.03M	23.72M	15.09M
EBITDA	1.86M	-1.57M	-22.00K	6.56M	7.30M	6.70M
Net Income	-2.74M	-5.27M	-4.00M	516.00K	1.36M	1.57M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	74.84M	77.08M	85.95M	98.47M	92.60M	81.05M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	11.54M	10.61M	9.21M	8.11M	7.75M	7.27M
Total Debt	21.83M	23.50M	24.75M	24.27M	20.04M	14.27M
Total Liabilities	50.60M	56.67M	60.38M	66.40M	58.09M	51.15M
Stockholders Equity	24.23M	20.41M	25.57M	32.06M	34.51M	29.90M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	4.76M	5.64M	2.98M	-1.70M	-3.14M	4.46M
Operating Cash Flow	6.24M	7.65M	7.17M	4.69M	3.06M	7.59M
Investing Cash Flow	-2.98M	-3.25M	-4.32M	-6.64M	-6.60M	-4.49M
Financing Cash Flow	-2.54M	-2.80M	-1.48M	1.48M	4.41M	-4.64M

James Cropper Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 395.00
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:CRPR, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 395 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 331.90, above the 50-day MA of 362.00, and above the 200-day MA of 306.99, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -12.69 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 35.17 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 57.48 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GB:CRPR.

James Cropper Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
ESNT	63 Neutral	£257.12M	267.50	3.47%	2.44%	-4.71%	86.21%
ZTF	62 Neutral	£182.95M	4.13	0.63%	2.00%	15.56%	-92.94%
Sector *	61 Neutral	$10.43B	7.12	-0.05%	2.87%	2.86%	-36.73%
CRPR	60 Neutral	£30.58M	3.80	-12.28%	―	4.99%	56.79%
ELM	58 Neutral	£861.61M	-28.06	-6.85%	1.34%	-11.78%	-92.61%
AXS	56 Neutral	£147.96M	-34.00	-21.28%	―	1.45%	―
MNDI	55 Neutral	£3.63B	28.33	3.86%	6.76%	3.30%	-58.67%

James Cropper Corporate Events

James Cropper and Hexcel join forces on recycled carbon‑fibre composites

James Cropper has entered a collaboration with composites specialist Hexcel through the Aerospace & Defence working group of the European Composites Circular Alliance to develop high‑value composite materials from recycled carbon fibre. The partnership leverages James Cropper’s VECTIS‑enabled UNIMAT technology to improve fibre alignment and volume fractions, aiming to make recycled carbon fibre viable for demanding aerospace, automotive and mobility applications.

The initiative is positioned as a route to scalable circular‑economy manufacturing solutions in sectors where weight reduction is critical for reducing fuel burn and operating costs. By showcasing jointly developed products at JEC World and working within an industry‑wide circularity framework, James Cropper seeks to accelerate industrial adoption of its aligned fibre technology, reinforce its presence in higher‑value growth markets and support sustainable long‑term value for shareholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:CRPR) stock is a Hold with a £361.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on James Cropper stock, see the GB:CRPR Stock Forecast page.