# Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Basic Materials / Metals & Mining. Price $242.06, market value $34.7 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 22.0×** (5-yr avg 9.7×, 3-yr avg 13.4×). Steel Dynamics Inc. trades at 22.0× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 9.7×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Basic Materials median in the September 2026 study was 19.0×. Forward P/E is 12.8×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 1.7×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.7×.
- **Price / book: 3.7×**. The shares trade at 3.7× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 14.3×**. Enterprise value is 14.3× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 2.8%** (5-yr avg 8.5%). Free cash flow equals 2.8% of the market value, below its five-year average of 8.5%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual.
- **Earnings yield: 4.5%**. The inverse of the P/E: 4.5% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 14.7%**. Steel Dynamics Inc. keeps 14.7% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 10.0%**. 10.0% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 6.5%**. 6.5% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 13.2%**. 13.2% on shareholders' equity is solid.
- **Return on invested capital: 13.1%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 13.1%.
- **Return on assets: 9.8%**. Each dollar of assets produces 9.8% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 3.6%** (3-yr -6.5%/yr, 5-yr 13.6%/yr). Revenue grew 3.6% over the last year, against 13.6% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -18.8%** (3-yr -27.4%/yr, 5-yr 25.3%/yr). Earnings per share fell 18.8%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -47.9%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -47.9% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.47**. Debt is 0.47 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.3×**. It would take 1.3 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 4.95**. A Z-score of 4.95 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.88%** ($2.06 per share, trailing). Steel Dynamics Inc. yields 0.88%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 25%** (31% of free cash flow). 25% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 15**. 15 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 14.9%/yr** (1-yr 8.7%). The dividend has compounded at 14.9% a year over five years, doubling roughly every 5 years at that pace.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (14 analysts). 14 analysts cover Steel Dynamics Inc.; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $271.21 (+12% 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): 87.2%** (YTD 43.6%, 3-mo -9.6%). The shares are up 87.2% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -16.2%** (87.0% above the low). Trading 16% below 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): 50**. An RSI of 50 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 1.15** (volatility 37%). Beta of 1.15 against the S&P 500: the shares move roughly with the market.

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

Not investment advice.