# The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. (CHEF) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Consumer Defensive / Food & Staples Retailing. Price $114.36, market value $4.7 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 54.5×** (5-yr avg 38.4×, 3-yr avg 36.0×). The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. trades at 54.5× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 38.4×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Consumer Defensive median in the September 2026 study was 20.1×. Forward P/E is 37.2×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 1.36**. A PEG of 1.36 is in the range usually read as fairly priced for its growth.
- **Price / sales: 1.1×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.1×.
- **Price / book: 7.2×**. The shares trade at 7.2× book value; most of the value is in earnings power and intangibles rather than the balance sheet.
- **EV / EBITDA: 22.2×**. Enterprise value is 22.2× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; above 20× is demanding.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 2.7%** (5-yr avg 0.3%). Free cash flow equals 2.7% of the market value, above its five-year average of 0.3%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been.
- **Earnings yield: 1.8%**. The inverse of the P/E: 1.8% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 24.5%**. The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. keeps 24.5% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 4.0%**. 4.0% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 1.7%**. 1.7% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 12.0%**. 12.0% on shareholders' equity is solid.
- **Return on invested capital: 11.2%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 11.2%.
- **Return on assets: 4.5%**. Each dollar of assets produces 4.5% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 9.4%** (3-yr 16.7%/yr, 5-yr 30.1%/yr). Revenue grew 9.4% over the last year, against 30.1% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 27.3%** (3-yr 32.0%/yr). Earnings per share rose 27.3%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 1.24**. Debt is 1.24 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 2.6×**. It would take 2.6 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 4.67**. A Z-score of 4.67 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend: none**. The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (9 analysts). 9 analysts cover The Chefs' Warehouse Inc.; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $119.44 (+4% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 75.3%** (YTD 83.5%, 3-mo 41.6%). The shares are up 75.3% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -2.8%** (115.0% above the low). Trading within 5% of its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 60**. An RSI of 60 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.48** (volatility 38%). Beta of 0.48 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CHEF · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/chef

Not investment advice.