# James Fisher and Sons plc (FSJ.L) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. LSE, United Kingdom. Sector: Industrials / Professional Services. Price 448p, market value 226 millionp.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): n/a** (negative earnings). James Fisher and Sons plc reported negative earnings over the last twelve months, so the P/E is not meaningful; use price-to-sales, EV/EBITDA and free-cash-flow yield instead.
- **Price / sales: 0.3×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.3×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.2×**. The shares trade at 1.2× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 2.3×**. Enterprise value is 2.3× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 20.7%** (5-yr avg 0.1%). Free cash flow equals 20.7% of the market value, above its five-year average of 0.1%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 31.4%**. James Fisher and Sons plc keeps 31.4% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells.
- **Operating margin: 4.8%**. 4.8% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: -1.1%**. The company reported a net loss over the last twelve months.
- **Return on equity: -2.4%**. Return on equity is negative because earnings are negative.
- **Return on invested capital: 8.7%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 8.7%.
- **Return on assets: 8.2%**. Each dollar of assets produces 8.2% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): -9.9%** (3-yr -6.2%/yr, 5-yr -5.3%/yr). Revenue fell 9.9% over the last year, against -5.3% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -109.7%**. Earnings per share fell 109.7%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 46.0%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 46.0% a year over three years.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 1.09**. Debt is 1.09 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 0.9×**. It would take 0.9 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Interest coverage: 1.1×**. Operating profit covers interest only 1.1×: fragile.
- **Current ratio: 1.16** (quick 0.95). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 1.16 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.88**. A Z-score of 1.88 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend: none**. James Fisher and Sons plc does not currently pay a dividend, but it returned 0.2% of its market value through buybacks over the last year.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 31.7%** (YTD 16.3%, 3-mo -12.4%). The shares are up 31.7% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -19.1%** (37.8% above the low). Trading 19% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 40**. An RSI of 40 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.24** (volatility 36%). Beta of 0.24 against the FTSE All-Share: the shares move much less than the market.

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

Not investment advice.