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Mueller Industries, Inc. (MLI)
NYSE:MLI

Mueller Industries (MLI) AI Stock Analysis

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MLI

Mueller Industries

(NYSE:MLI)

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Outperform 79 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:79Outperform
Price Target:
$136.00
▲(23.21% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/21/26
The score is driven primarily by high-quality financials—strong margins, excellent balance-sheet strength, and durable free cash flow. This is partly offset by weaker near-term technical momentum (below key moving averages with negative MACD). Valuation is reasonable, and the 40% dividend increase is an incremental positive.
Positive Factors
Improved Profitability / Margins
Margins have materially improved versus prior years (net margin up from ~5.8% in 2020 to ~16% in 2024), reflecting stronger pricing power and operational efficiency. Higher structural profitability supports durable cash flows, reinvestment capacity and resilience through cyclical periods.
Very Strong Balance Sheet / Low Leverage
Extremely low leverage and rising equity (from ~$0.78B in 2020 to ~$3.21B in 2025) give the company significant financial flexibility. This conservatism reduces bankruptcy risk, enables opportunistic M&A or buybacks, and supports sustained capital returns across cycles.
Durable Cash Generation & Shareholder Returns
Consistently positive free cash flow with high cash conversion (~87.6% of net income in 2024) and a sizable dividend increase demonstrate repeatable cash generation. This underpins ongoing shareholder returns and funds capex or strategic investments without adding leverage.
Negative Factors
Revenue Cyclicality
Top-line volatility tied to industrial and construction end-markets makes revenue growth uneven. Persistent cyclicality can pressure planning, capital allocation and may force margin compression in weaker demand periods, challenging multi-year growth visibility.
Variable Free Cash Flow Growth
Free cash flow has been generally positive but exhibited meaningful year-to-year swings due to working-capital and cycle sensitivity. This variability raises uncertainty around the repeatability of large dividends or discretionary investments in weaker phases of the cycle.
Asset Base Contraction Nuance
A decline in total assets in 2025, while equity rose, suggests shifts in the asset base or inventory/work-capital management. If driven by reduced investment or demand retrenchment, it may limit capacity to scale or indicate sensitivity to end-market downturns over the medium term.

Mueller Industries (MLI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Mueller Industries Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionMueller Industries, Inc. manufactures and sells copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, the Middle East, China, and Mexico. It operates through three segments: Piping Systems, Industrial Metals, and Climate. The Piping Systems segment offers copper tubes, fittings, line sets, and pipe nipples; PEX plumbing and radiant systems; and plumbing-related fittings and plastic injection tooling. It also resells steel pipes, brass and plastic plumbing valves, malleable iron fittings and faucets, and plumbing specialties; and supplies water tubes. This segment sells its products to wholesalers in the plumbing and refrigeration markets, distributors to the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries, building material retailers, and air-conditioning original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Industrial Metals segment manufactures brass, bronze, and copper alloy rods; plumbing brass, valves, and fittings; cold-form aluminum and copper products; machining of aluminum, steel, brass, and cast iron impacts and castings; brass and aluminum forgings; brass, aluminum, and stainless-steel valves; fluid control solutions; and gas train assembles to OEMs in the industrial, construction, HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration markets. The Climate segment offers valves, protection devices, and brass fittings for various OEMs in the commercial HVAC and refrigeration markets; high-pressure components and accessories for the air-conditioning and refrigeration markets; coaxial heat exchangers and twisted tubes for the HVAC, geothermal, refrigeration, swimming pool heat pump, marine, ice machine, commercial boiler, and heat reclamation markets; insulated HVAC flexible duct systems; and brazed manifolds, headers, and distributor assemblies. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee.
How the Company Makes MoneyMueller Industries generates revenue primarily through the sale of its diverse product range to wholesalers, contractors, and retailers in the plumbing and HVAC industries. The company benefits from a strong distribution network and a reputation for quality, which helps it secure long-term contracts and repeat business. Key revenue streams include direct sales of plumbing and HVAC products, custom manufacturing services, and partnerships with major home improvement retailers. Additionally, Mueller Industries capitalizes on market demand fluctuations and economic cycles in the construction and industrial sectors to optimize pricing and expand its market share.

Mueller Industries Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong profitability (net margin ~16% in 2024; EBIT margin ~21.8%), exceptional balance-sheet conservatism (debt-to-equity ~0.01–0.02), and consistently positive free cash flow with solid cash conversion. Main risk is cyclical/volatile revenue and variability in free cash flow growth.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
Profitability is strong and structurally improved versus earlier years, with net profit margin rising from ~5.8% (2020) to ~16.0% (2024) alongside healthy operating profitability (EBIT margin ~21.8% in 2024). Revenue has been volatile (down in 2023, then up ~10.2% in 2024), but earnings held up well (net income roughly flat 2023–2024) and the 2025 annual figures show further step-up in revenue and net income. Key watchout is top-line cyclicality/volatility typical of industrial end-markets, which can pressure results in down years.
Balance Sheet
95
Very Positive
The balance sheet is exceptionally conservative: debt is very low relative to equity (debt-to-equity ~0.01–0.02 in 2023–2024), a major improvement from 2020 when leverage was materially higher. Equity has compounded strongly (from ~$0.78B in 2020 to ~$2.77B in 2024 and ~$3.21B in 2025), supporting resilience and financial flexibility. Returns on equity remain robust (~21.8% in 2024). The main nuance is that total assets dipped in 2025 versus 2024, but with rising equity and minimal debt, balance-sheet risk still screens as very low.
Cash Flow
88
Very Positive
Cash generation is strong and generally high quality. Free cash flow has been consistently positive (about $565.7M in 2024 and $686.6M in 2025), and cash conversion is solid (free cash flow at ~87.6% of net income in 2024; ~92.0% in 2023). Operating cash flow covered net income well in recent years (about 1.62x in 2024 and 2.12x in 2023), indicating earnings are backed by cash. The key weakness is variability in free cash flow growth (declines in 2023 and 2024 after a strong 2022), suggesting working-capital and cycle sensitivity.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue4.18B3.77B3.42B3.98B3.77B
Gross Profit1.14B1.04B986.83M1.12B830.36M
EBITDA1.08B874.00M886.41M920.57M694.24M
Net Income765.19M604.88M602.90M658.32M468.52M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets3.02B3.29B2.76B2.24B1.73B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments1.39B1.06B1.27B678.88M87.92M
Total Debt46.46M33.76M35.56M23.85M24.99M
Total Liabilities497.12M486.50M400.58M428.44M471.97M
Stockholders Equity2.49B2.77B2.34B1.79B1.22B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow686.64M565.71M618.74M686.30M279.87M
Operating Cash Flow755.44M645.91M672.77M723.94M311.70M
Investing Cash Flow-24.91M-606.93M135.08M-242.00M29.07M
Financing Cash Flow-394.62M-160.48M-104.51M-102.66M-376.72M

Mueller Industries Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price110.38
Price Trends
50DMA
122.10
Negative
100DMA
113.59
Positive
200DMA
99.85
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-1.59
Positive
RSI
47.07
Neutral
STOCH
52.89
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For MLI, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 110.38 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 123.02, below the 50-day MA of 122.10, and above the 200-day MA of 99.85, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -1.59 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 47.07 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 52.89 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for MLI.

Mueller Industries Risk Analysis

Mueller Industries disclosed 10 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Mueller 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

Mueller Industries 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
$13.33B17.2425.58%0.85%15.71%29.60%
79
Outperform
$4.03B12.6327.38%0.67%1.55%701.41%
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
MLI
Mueller Industries
120.08
41.27
52.37%
ATI
ATI
161.04
104.31
183.87%
AZZ
AZZ
134.87
39.00
40.68%
CRS
Carpenter Technology
392.47
193.97
97.72%
WOR
Worthington Industries
56.34
14.70
35.30%
ESAB
ESAB Corporation
125.31
1.13
0.91%

Mueller Industries Corporate Events

Dividends
Mueller Industries Announces 40% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
Positive
Feb 20, 2026

On February 19, 2026, Mueller Industries, Inc. announced that its board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share on its common stock, marking the sixth consecutive year of a double-digit dividend increase. The dividend, representing a 40 percent increase over the 2025 quarterly dividend, will be paid on March 27, 2026 to shareholders of record as of March 13, 2026, underscoring the company’s continued emphasis on shareholder returns and financial strength.

The enlarged payout signals management’s confidence in Mueller Industries’ cash generation capabilities and its strategic positioning across essential industrial end markets. For investors, the move highlights an increasingly robust capital return profile, which may enhance the stock’s appeal among income-focused shareholders and further solidify the company’s standing in the industrial sector.

The most recent analyst rating on (MLI) stock is a Hold with a $126.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Mueller Industries stock, see the MLI 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 21, 2026