# Crest Nicholson Holdings plc (CRST.L) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. LSE, United Kingdom. Sector: Industrials / Construction & Engineering. Price 58p, market value 148 millionp.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 7.2×** (5-yr avg 6261.5×). Crest Nicholson Holdings plc trades at 7.2× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 6261.5×: cheap by its own standards. The Industrials median in the September 2026 study was 25.7×. Forward P/E is 31.4×, higher than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to fall.
- **PEG: 0.31**. A PEG of 0.31 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 0.1×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.1×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 0.2×**. The shares trade below book value, which can signal a bargain or a balance sheet the market doubts.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: -55.6%** (5-yr avg -0.1%). Free cash flow is negative: the business is consuming cash, which is normal for heavy investment phases but a warning otherwise.
- **Earnings yield: 13.9%**. The inverse of the P/E: 13.9% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 11.7%**. Crest Nicholson Holdings plc keeps 11.7% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 2.6%**. 2.6% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 0.4%**. 0.4% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 0.3%**. 0.3% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 3.0%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 3.0%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: -7.1%**. Each dollar of assets produces -7.1% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): -1.2%** (3-yr -12.6%/yr, 5-yr -2.1%/yr). Revenue fell 1.2% over the last year, against -2.1% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 102.1%** (3-yr -56.0%/yr). Earnings per share rose 102.1%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.24**. Debt is 0.24 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: net cash**. Crest Nicholson Holdings plc holds more cash than debt.
- **Interest coverage: 1.2×**. Operating profit covers interest only 1.2×: fragile.
- **Current ratio: 2.63** (quick 0.49). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 2.63 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.02**. A Z-score of 2.02 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 5.34%** (0p per share, trailing). Crest Nicholson Holdings plc yields 5.34%, an income-level yield.
- **Payout ratio: 291%**. The dividend exceeds earnings (291% payout), which is rarely sustainable outside REITs and one-off years.
- **Shareholder yield: 5.4%**. Dividends plus net buybacks return 5.4% of the market value a year.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (9 analysts). 9 analysts cover Crest Nicholson Holdings plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of 81p (+40% 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): -61.8%** (YTD -59.7%, 3-mo -14.7%). The shares are down 61.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -67.3%** (8.9% above the low). Trading 67% below its 52-week high, deep in a drawdown.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 33**. An RSI of 33 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 1.74** (volatility 61%). Beta of 1.74 against the FTSE All-Share: the shares move much more than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CRST.L · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/crst.l

Not investment advice.