L.B. Foster Company
FSTRL.B. Foster Company's three tracks disagree. Price, valuation and the earnings engine each tell a different story — the next quarter or two settles it.
The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +87.6% in a year while annual EPS moved −82.3% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings.
The price is between stages while the P/E sits at the 51st percentile of its own 1-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read improving, and 120% of the last 2 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved.
Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.
L.B. Foster Company trades at $41.9, between stages. That is +27.6% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 87% of a 52-week range of $23 to $45. On relative strength it is currently behind the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view (1 week and counting).
Today the stock is between stages. At $41.9 it trades +27.6% versus its 200-day average and sits at 87% of its 52-week range ($23–$45).
Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 1.1 years the stock moved +73% while the S&P 500 moved +24% — ahead of the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock is currently behind (1 week and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-07-31) — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.
What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.
Valuation P/E is the price of $1 of annual profit: how many dollars the market pays for each dollar the company earns in a year.
L.B. Foster Company trades at 41.1× P/E, mid-range by its own standards (51st percentile). Its long-run median P/E is 41.1×, measured across 1.1 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.
Today's P/E of 41.1× is mid-range by its own standards (51st percentile), against a long-run median of 41.1× measured over 1.1 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.
🚨 Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved −82.3% against a +87.6% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.
Put together: the multiple is unremarkable against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.
Stage: No read Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).
L.B. Foster Company reads as no read on its fundamental arc. Under eight usable quarters on the growth trio — not enough history for an honest trajectory read. The read is built from 12 quarters across 2 curves, on partial evidence.
Why it matters: with too little history, an honest page says so instead of guessing a trajectory.
Fewer than eight usable quarters on the growth curves — this page will not guess a trajectory from a stub of history.
| 1yr | 3yr | 5yr | 10yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | +1.9% | +2.6% | — | — |
| Profit | −75.0% | — | — | — |
| EPS | −82.3% | — | — | — |
| Stock price | +87.6% | — | — | — |
4-Factor Sector Score
53.3/100 — rank 5 of 10 in Railroads · 58% evidence confidence
L.B. Foster Company scores 53.3 out of 100 against the 10 companies it is compared with in Railroads, ranking 5. Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral.
The four contributions add to the total exactly: 22.3 + 4.5 + 9.5 + 17 = 53.3. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.
What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.
Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.
L.B. Foster Company reported $0.1 B of revenue in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.0% year on year. That is the 2nd straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 4 years it has compounded at 1.4% a year. The last full year, FY25, came in at $0.5 B. The last four reported quarters add to $0.6 B.
FY25 revenue came in at $0.5 B (+1.9% on the year), capping 4 years at 1.4% compound. The latest quarter (Mar 26) printed $0.1 B, +20.0% year on year — the 2nd consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.
Pace check: the last four quarters averaged +10.8% growth against the decade's 1.4% — the current year is running faster than its own long-run rate.
Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew +9.8% over the last 4 quarters against +0.9%/yr over the last 8 — accelerating.
Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every $100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.
L.B. Foster Company's operating margin is 0.0% in the Mar 26 quarter, +0.0 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged −2.0% to 3.8%. The current quarter sits inside that band.
The latest quarter's operating margin is 0.0%, +0.0 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged −2.0%–3.8%.
Why the margin moved: operating margin went +0.0 pp year on year while gross margin went +5.0 pp — the gain came mostly from the gross line: input costs and pricing.
Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.
L.B. Foster Company earned $0.0 B of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter. Full-year FY25 profit was $0.0 B. That is 0.0% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.0 B.
Mar 26 profit was $0.0 B, null year on year. On the full year, FY25 printed $0.0 B (−75.0%).
Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.
Over the last 2 fiscal years 120% of L.B. Foster Company's reported profit arrived as operating cash — the cash follows the profit. In FY25 that was $0.0 B of operating cash against $0.0 B of profit. After $0.0 B of capital spending, $0.0 B was left as free cash.
FY25: operating cash of $0.0 B against reported profit of $0.0 B, leaving free cash of $0.0 B after $0.0 B of capital spending. Across the last 2 fiscal years the conversion rate is 120% of profit.
Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.
Why: conversion is measured cleanly, but the working-capital day-counts behind it sit below what we hold — the move is shown without inventing its driver.
Router verdict: the visible cash user is investment — the next section checks what the spending is buying.
Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).
L.B. Foster Company does not report the debtor, inventory and payable day-counts a cash cycle is built from, so this section reads the investment side instead. Capital spending ran $0.0 B over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 0.0% of FY25 revenue a year.
Working-capital day-counts are not in our numbers for this stock, so this section reads the investment side — where the cash is being put to work.
On the investment side: capital spending of $0.0 B over the last 3 fiscal years.
The synthesis: the cash is going into capacity, not disappearing into the cycle — the question becomes whether the new capacity earns.
Return on equity Return on equity (ROE) is the profit the business earns on its shareholders’ money. With the full capital-employed split not in our numbers, ROE is the cleanest long ladder we can draw here.
L.B. Foster Company earns a ROE of 6% in FY25. That is up from a trough of −36% in FY22. Return on invested capital clears the cost of that capital by −3.3 percentage points, so growth here is not yet paying for the capital it uses. The wiring behind it is 1.9% net margin on 1.64× asset turns.
FY25 ROE is 6%, recovered from a FY22 trough of −36% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.
🚨 Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY25): 1.9% net margin × 1.64× asset turns × 1.83× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 5.7% on equity. Margin does its share; leverage is a meaningful part of the equation.
The capstone test — ROIC − WACC: 6.1% − 9.4% = a −3.3 pp spread. The 9.4% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital — read the sign and the size of the spread, not the decimals. Negative — growth at these returns destroys value until the returns recover.
Dividend
L.B. Foster Company pays no dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters it has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings rather than distribute them, which makes the cash-flow and reinvestment sections the place that cash shows up.
L.B. Foster Company does not currently pay a dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters the company has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings instead of distributing them.
Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings. Low is the safe corner; the trend matters as much as the level.
L.B. Foster Company carries total debt of $0.1 B against shareholder equity of $0.2 B as of Mar 26, a debt-to-equity of 0.47. On the annual view that ratio went from 0.22 in FY21 to 0.39 in FY25. Read the returns elsewhere on this page with that leverage in mind.
Mar 26: total debt of $0.1 B against shareholder equity of $0.2 B — a debt-to-equity of 0.47. On the annual view, debt-to-equity went from 0.22 (FY21) to 0.39 (FY25). Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind.
Ownership There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read here, so we read the crowd through short interest — the slice of tradable shares currently sold short, positioned for a fall.
2.8% of L.B. Foster Company's tradable float is currently sold short — some money is positioned against it. At typical trading volumes those positions would take about 2.7 days to buy back. There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read for this filer, so the crowd is read through short interest instead.
The latest reading: 2.8% of the float is sold short, and at typical trading volumes it would take about 2.7 days to buy those positions back. Some money is positioned against it. This is a single point-in-time reading — we do not yet hold its history, so we show no trend chart.
Why it sits there: who is doing the shorting, and why, does not travel with the number — the level is shown without inventing its story.
Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.
L.B. Foster Company: the Z-score reads 4.04. A Z-score above roughly 3 reads as safe and below roughly 1.8 as the distress zone, so this sits well clear of distress. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure.
Why it matters: a Z-score of 4.04 sits well clear of the distress zone — the balance sheet is not the risk here.
The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score reads 4.04.
| Company | Score | Price stage | Growth & earnings/35 | Capital efficiency/25 | Valuation/20 | Relative strength/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1CSX CorporationCSX | 62.8/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 21.9/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 5.6 pp 45% evidence | 16.1/25 ROCE 3.7% · OPM 36% 76% evidence | 9.2/20 P/E 27.5× · PEG — 15% evidence | 15.6/20 RS sector 8.3% · RS bench 14.1% · 1Y 44%9 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 21.9 + 16.1 + 9.2 + 15.6 = 62.8 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 2Union Pacific CorporationUNP | 60.6/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 18.9/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 0.2 pp 45% evidence | 17.2/25 ROCE 4.3% · OPM 39.5% 76% evidence | 10.2/20 P/E 22× · PEG — 15% evidence | 14.3/20 RS sector 2% · RS bench 7.7% · 1Y 33.3%4 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 18.9 + 17.2 + 10.2 + 14.3 = 60.6 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 3Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationWAB | 58.8/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | TURNING | 19.1/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -0.7 pp 45% evidence | 13.7/25 ROCE 3.5% · OPM 17.5% 76% evidence | 8.5/20 P/E 36.2× · PEG — 15% evidence | 17.5/20 RS sector 8.7% · RS bench 14.5% · 1Y 56.2%3 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 19.1 + 13.7 + 8.5 + 17.5 = 58.8 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 4Canadian National Railway CompanyCNI | 56.9/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 15.9/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -1.2 pp 45% evidence | 14.2/25 ROCE 3.2% · OPM 35.4% 76% evidence | 10.5/20 P/E 21.7× · PEG — 15% evidence | 16.3/20 RS sector 2.8% · RS bench 8.6% · 1Y 37.5%4 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 15.9 + 14.2 + 10.5 + 16.3 = 56.9 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 5L.B. Foster Companythis pageFSTR | 53.3/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | FADING | 22.3/35 Revenue 11.7% · PAT -73% · OPM change 3.7 pp 62% evidence | 4.5/25 ROCE 0.8% · OPM 1.7% 76% evidence | 9.5/20 P/E 27.1× · PEG — 15% evidence | 17.0/20 RS sector 13.4% · RS bench 19.4% · 1Y 89.6%11 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 22.3 + 4.5 + 9.5 + 17 = 53.3 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 6Trinity Industries, Inc.TRN | 47.7/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | ASLEEP | 22.5/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 3.5 pp 45% evidence | 11.7/25 ROCE 2.5% · OPM 20.5% 76% evidence | 11.5/20 P/E 8.3× · PEG — 15% evidence | 2.0/20 RS sector -11% · RS bench -6.1% · 1Y 17.9%3 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 22.5 + 11.7 + 11.5 + 2 = 47.7 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 7Norfolk Southern CorporationNSC | 45.0/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | TURNING | 13.7/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -9 pp 45% evidence | 12.8/25 ROCE 2.7% · OPM 29.3% 76% evidence | 9.8/20 P/E 26.8× · PEG — 15% evidence | 8.7/20 RS sector -3.5% · RS bench 2.1% · 1Y 21.9%2 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 13.7 + 12.8 + 9.8 + 8.7 = 45 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 8Canadian Pacific Kansas City LimitedCP | 44.1/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | TURNING | 17.3/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -0.7 pp 45% evidence | 11.4/25 ROCE 1.8% · OPM 34% 76% evidence | 8.8/20 P/E 28.6× · PEG — 15% evidence | 6.6/20 RS sector -3.7% · RS bench 1.8% · 1Y 20.8%1 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 17.3 + 11.4 + 8.8 + 6.6 = 44.1 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 9The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.GBX | 30.5/100Adverse evidence79% evidence | BASING | 3.7/35 Revenue -25.6% · PAT -54.2% · OPM change -5.5 pp 95% evidence | 7.0/25 ROCE 0.9% · OPM 5.5% 76% evidence | 15.8/20 P/E 14× · PEG 0.27 65% evidence | 4.0/20 RS sector -12.2% · RS bench -7.2% · 1Y 11.9%0 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 3.7 + 7 + 15.8 + 4 = 30.5 · Decision use: Cheap but unconfirmed: require improving earnings before treating the valuation as an opportunity. | ||||||
| 10FreightCar America, Inc.RAIL | 24.7/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | TURNING | 7.5/35 Revenue -4.9% · PAT — · OPM change -4.9 pp 62% evidence | 3.0/25 ROCE -0.3% · OPM -0.9% 76% evidence | 11.2/20 P/E 10.8× · PEG — 15% evidence | 3.0/20 RS sector -22.7% · RS bench -18.2% · 1Y -5.1%1 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 7.5 + 3 + 11.2 + 3 = 24.7 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
Missing observations are not scored as bad. Their missing weight lowers confidence and pulls the final score toward neutral. PEG is not shown when the ratio cannot mean anything: the company must be making a profit, its price-to-earnings must be positive, and its three-year earnings growth must fall between 5% and 60%. Dividing a price multiple by a loss, or by growth measured off a tiny base, produces a number that looks precise and tells you nothing. Under relative strength, one mark per week shows the last 12 weeks: a mark is filled where the company led S&P 500 by 5% or more over the 13 weeks ending that week, which is the same test used everywhere on this site. Price stage places the company on the same six-step curve the sector itself is placed on — basing, turning, breaking out, leader, fading, asleep — read from how many weeks running it has led S&P 500 and whether that lead is widening or shrinking. It describes where the PRICE stands, not the earnings trajectory and not a recommendation, and it is left blank for a company whose weekly history is too short or too stale to read.
Frequently asked questions
What is L.B. Foster Company's stock price today?
L.B. Foster Company trades at $41.9, +87.6% over the past year. The company is valued at $0.0 B. The stock sits at 87% of its 52-week range of $23–$45, +27.6% versus its 200-day average. Against the S&P 500 it has been behind on a trailing-13-week view for 1 week. — as of 5 August 2026.
What were L.B. Foster Company's latest quarterly results?
L.B. Foster Company reported revenue of $0.1 B and net profit of $0.0 B for the Mar 26 quarter. Earnings per share were $0.14. The operating margin was 0.0%, 0.0 pp higher than a year earlier. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's revenue?
L.B. Foster Company reported revenue of $0.1 B in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.0% year on year. For the full FY25 fiscal year, revenue was $0.5 B (+1.9%). Over the last 4 years revenue compounded at 1.4% a year. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's profit?
L.B. Foster Company earned $0.0 B of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter. Full-year FY25 profit was $0.0 B. The operating margin ran 0.0% in the latest quarter. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's market cap?
L.B. Foster Company's market capitalisation is $0.0 B at a stock price of $41.9. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's P/E ratio?
L.B. Foster Company trades at a P/E of 41.1×, at the 51st percentile of its own 1-year range, against a long-run median of 41.1×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 5 August 2026.
Does L.B. Foster Company pay a dividend?
No — L.B. Foster Company has declared no dividend per share in any of its last 12 reported quarters, so there is no payout history and no yield to quote. That is a reading of the filed statements, not an estimate. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is L.B. Foster Company overvalued?
On its own history, L.B. Foster Company looks mid-range against its own history: its P/E of 41.1× sits at the 51st percentile of its 1-year range (long-run median 41.1×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. — as of 5 August 2026.
How is L.B. Foster Company performing?
L.B. Foster Company's latest readings are below. Against the S&P 500 it has been behind on a trailing-13-week view for 1 week. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is L.B. Foster Company beating the market?
Not lately — on a trailing-13-week view L.B. Foster Company is currently behind the S&P 500 (1 week and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-07-31), the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 1.1 years the stock moved +73% against the S&P 500's +24% — ahead of the index over the full window. — as of 5 August 2026.
Will L.B. Foster Company's stock price go up?
This page publishes no price forecast for L.B. Foster Company. What it measures instead: the stock price is $41.9. Its P/E of 41.1× sits at the 51st percentile of its own 1-year range. Direction is not something this site claims to know. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is the market betting against L.B. Foster Company?
Somewhat — short interest is 2.8% of L.B. Foster Company's tradable float, about 2.7 days to cover at typical volumes. A moderate reading: some money is positioned against it. With no quarter-by-quarter holder register here, short interest is the cleanest crowd read we hold — as of 5 August 2026.
Does L.B. Foster Company have too much debt?
It is moderate — L.B. Foster Company's debt-to-equity is 0.48. A year-by-year borrowings ladder is not in our numbers for this stock, so the latest reading is the cleanest hold. Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's capex?
L.B. Foster Company spent $0.0 B on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY25 alone that was $0.0 B. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is L.B. Foster Company's cash flow?
L.B. Foster Company generated $0.0 B of operating cash flow in FY25 and $0.0 B of free cash flow after $0.0 B of capital spending. Reported profit that year was $0.0 B, so operating cash ran ahead of profit. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is L.B. Foster Company's profit real cash?
Yes — over the last 2 fiscal years, 120% of L.B. Foster Company's reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY25, operating cash was $0.0 B against reported profit of $0.0 B. The cash then goes mostly into building capacity. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 5 August 2026.
How financially safe is L.B. Foster Company?
On the balance sheet, the Z-score reads 4.04 — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the distress zone. That sits well clear of trouble. — as of 5 August 2026.
Where is L.B. Foster Company in its business cycle?
L.B. Foster Company's FY25 operating margin was 3.7%, against a 5-year band of −2.0%–3.8%: mid-band by its own history — neither the peak that precedes mean-reversion nor the trough that precedes recovery. The latest quarter ran 0.0%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 5 August 2026.
What could break the L.B. Foster Company story?
The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +87.6% in a year while annual EPS moved −82.3% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 5 August 2026.
Is L.B. Foster Company a stock worth studying right now?
This is not investment advice. The machine read: L.B. Foster Company's three tracks disagree. Price, valuation and the earnings engine each tell a different story — the next quarter or two settles it. The sharpest open question: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 5 August 2026.