How profitable is Worthington Steel Inc. (WS)?

In FY 2025 (10-K), WS converted $3.4B of revenue into a 11.7% gross margin, 0% operating margin, and $80.0M in free cash flow (2.3% FCF margin).

Stock Ratings / Materials / WS / financials

WOR (69) ROCK (52) SIM (47) SXC (51) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) Revenue-to-Profit Sankey Flow & SEC XBRL Financials

$41.81 +2.83% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $41.94

Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) carries a Roarable Rating of D+ (Sell) with 54/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

ROARABLE D+ • SELL / AVOID Cap $2.08B

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is WS stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, Worthington Steel Inc. (NYSE: WS) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 54/100 at a spot price of $41.81 (+2.83% 1D, market cap $2.08B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 12/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 9/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 8/20. Across 270 tracked Materials issuers, WS ranks #63 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does WS compare to WOR and ROCK in the Materials sector?

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Within the Materials sector (Steel/Iron Ore), WS carries a Roarable D+ (54/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of 11.7%, and ROIC of -0.1%. By comparison, WOR (Worthington Enterprises Inc.) holds a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 20.3x, ROIC 5.5%, cap $3.09B) and ROCK (Gibraltar Industries Inc.) posts a D+ grade (52/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 11.6%, cap $1.19B). Among the 5-stock peer group, WOR leads on earnings multiple (20.3x) while ROCK leads on capital efficiency (11.6% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for WS?

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Per WS's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-05-31, CIK 0001968487), Worthington Steel Inc. generated $3.44B in revenue (+11.3% YoY), -$13.0M in net income, and $80.0M in free cash flow against $2.15B in total assets and $41.7M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Materials with deep daily trading liquidity. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $41.94 (+0.32%)🧬 Disciplined Float (-0.12% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 12/20 (C-) • 2.3% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 54/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-0.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 51.0% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERSELL / AVOID • D+

JEV AI Jury Split (Battleground)

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw D+ · Rk D+

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE-1.8% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for WS)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±10.7%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (54/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY WS SCORES 54/100 (D+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+13/20 pts (24% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±10.7% realized swing band)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+12/20 pts (22% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 2.3% FCF Margin ($80.0M FCF) & 11.7% Gross Margin

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution8/20 pts (-12 pt drag)

Disciplined Float (-0.12% YoY Shares) & executive Form 4 sales trim 12 pts from alignment

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade D$39.20+5.2% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade D$41.24+3.6% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C-$42.71-2.1% Next Q

Current

Grade D+$41.81-0.7% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: D (46) → D+ (54)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a WS Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While WS currently carries a cautious 54/100 (D+) rating due to Insider Conviction & Share Dilution (8/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Established market leader in Materials with deep daily trading liquidity.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($36.96) and Max Pain ($43.90) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $51.63.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Disciplined Float (-0.12% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $WS• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “WS Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Nov 29, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 54%NO 46%Trade / Inspect Odds →

VISUAL REVENUE-TO-PROFIT SANKEY WATERFALL • FY 2025 (10-K)

How WS Turns Every Dollar of Sales Into Real Bottom-Line Profit

Free Cash Flow:$80.0M (2.3% FCF Margin)

Multi-Year SEC EDGAR XBRL Revenue, Net Profit & Free Cash Flow Trajectory

■ Revenue■ Net Profit■ Free Cash Flow

FY23

Rev $3.43B

FY24

Rev $3.09B

FY25

Rev $3.44B

Fiscal Year	Revenue	Gross Margin	Op Margin	Net Profit	Free Cash Flow	ROIC %
FY 2025	$3.44B	11.7%	0%	-$13.0M	$80.0M	-0.1%
FY 2024	$3.09B	12.6%	4.8%	$119.0M	$99.9M	12.1%
FY 2023	$3.43B	11.7%	5.7%	$170.0M	$199.5M	-0.1%

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring WS)

✓Walkthrough of WS's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

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WS // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +9.85%▲ ASCENDING CHANNEL

2026-11-03O $42.09H $42.09L $40.66C $41.81VOL 375.4K

RES: $44.42SUP: $32.67SMA50: $36.96SMA200: $37.67

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

WS Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 WS Butterfly Map → + Track WS →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle

8.0%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +11.3% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on WS today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for WS. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for WS today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (WS)

Materials Rank #63 of 270 ⚔️ WOR vs WS Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Materials Peer Comparison (WS vs. WOR, ROCK, SIM, SXC)

Industry: Steel/Iron Ore (26 Tracked Issuers)

Across 270 tracked Materials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) ranks #63 by composite RQD confidence (54/100, grade D+) and #107 by equity capitalization ($2.08B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, WOR leads on earnings valuation at 20.3x trailing P/E, while ROCK leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 11.6% ROIC and 26.9% gross margin. WOR currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 69/100 (C+) compared with WS at 54/100 (D+).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
WS ACTIVE Worthington Steel Inc.	D+	54/100	—	11.7%	-0.1%	+2.83%	$2.08B	Benchmark Subject
WOR Worthington Enterprises Inc.	C+	69/100	20.3x	27.4%	5.5%	+3.49%	$3.09B	/wor-vs-ws →
ROCK Gibraltar Industries Inc.	D+	52/100	—	26.9%	11.6%	+3.77%	$1.19B	/rock-vs-ws →
SIM Grupo Simec S.A.B. de C.V.	D	47/100	—	—	—	+1.37%	$4.26B	/sim-vs-ws →
SXC SunCoke Energy Inc.	D	51/100	—	—	-2.9%	-1.24%	$961.6M	/sxc-vs-ws →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-05-31 • CIK 0001968487 ↗

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-05-31), Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) reported GAAP revenue of $3.44B (+11.3% vs. FY2024 revenue of $3.09B , and +0.4% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of -$13.0M, operating cash flow of $201.2M, and free cash flow of $80.0M (-19.9% YoY). On the balance sheet, WS closed FY2025 with $2.15B in total assets against $41.7M in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 3.60, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2026-05-31	$3.44B	-$13.0M	$201.2M	$80.0M	$2.15B	$41.7M
FY2024 (FY)	2025-05-31	$3.09B	$119.0M	$230.3M	$99.9M	$1.74B	$0
FY2023 (FY)	2024-05-31	$3.43B	$170.0M	$199.5M	$199.5M	—	—

3. WS Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is WS stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does WS compare to WOR and ROCK in the Materials sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for WS?

Where is WS trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

WS last traded at $41.81 (+2.83% on volume of 341,627 shares), positioning the stock +13.12% above its 50-day simple moving average ($36.96) and +10.99% above its 200-day simple moving average ($37.67). Across its 52-week range of $27.22 to $49.17, WS sits at the 66.5% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 54.8 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±10.7% ($37.34 to $46.28).

Direct Sub-Reports: WS RQD Cockpit WS 12M Forecast WS Earnings & Move WS Dividends & DRIP WS Insiders & 13F WS Whale Options WS Profit Sankey WS News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 54/100 (D+) ✓ SEC XBRL & RQD VERIFIED

WS — Worthington Steel Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Methodology: RQD v6.2 Deterministic 5-Pillar & SEC XBRL Audit

Updated: 2026-05-31

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 54/100, corresponding to a D+ letter grade (Roarable Sell) at a spot price of $41.81 (+2.83% 1D, market capitalization $2.08B).

Fundamental Cash Engine (12/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of -0.1%, gross margin of 11.7%, operating margin of 0.0%, and free cash flow yield of 3.71%.
Whale 13F & Options Flow (13/20) + Insider Conviction (8/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
Macro Regime Fit (9/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (12/20): Incorporates a 1.00x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of 3.60, Piotroski F-Score of 6/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.04x.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

. (WS) is a NYSE-listed issuer in the Materials sector, operating in the Steel/Iron Ore industry. The company reported FY 2025 revenue of $3.44B.

In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2026-05-31), Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) reported $3.44B in annual revenue (up from $3.09B in FY2024, +11.3% YoY) and -$13.0M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($3.43B revenue, $170.0M net income) through FY2025, WS scaled operating cash flow to $201.2M and free cash flow to $80.0M, backed by $2.15B in total assets against $41.7M in total debt.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case (D+ • RQD 54/100): Established market leader in Materials with deep daily trading liquidity. Free cash flow yield of 3.71% and institutional whale pillar of 13/20. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 12/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 13/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $27.22 – $49.17 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Investors must weigh current valuation against 0.0% operating margins and a 1.00x macro beta.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

Upstream and downstream dependencies: — Sector correlations beyond the stated beta of 1.

Key Question #1: Can WS sustain or expand its 0.0% operating margin and -0.1% ROIC against Steel/Iron Ore peers over the next 4 quarters?
Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $3.44B and free cash flow of $80.0M, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $41.7M in total debt?
Key Question #3: How sensitive is WS's equity valuation to Materials capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.00x)?

WS Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to WS Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 22h ago

Why Worthington Steel Melted Down on Wednesday

Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Seeking Alpha • 1d ago

Worthington Steel: 212% Revenue Growth, Yet EPS Went Backward (NYSE:WS)

Seeking Alpha report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Worthington Steel (WS) Is Up 7.2% After Acquisition-Fueled Sales Jump But Net Loss Emerges – Has The Bull Case Changed?

Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Simply Wall St • 1d ago

Worthington Steel (WS) Stock Grapples With Debt After Kloeckner Fueled Revenue Surge

Simply Wall St report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST CNBC • 1d ago

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Goldman Sachs, Webull, Worthington Steel, Micron & more

CNBC report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Investing.com • 1d ago

Worthington Steel president Larivey sells $287,998 in stock

Investing.com report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE TradingView • 1d ago

Worthington Steel, Inc. Estimates – NYSE:WS

TradingView report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Yahoo • 5d ago

All You Need to Know About Worthington Steel, Inc. (WS) Rating Upgrade to Buy

Worthington Steel, Inc. (WS) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting growing optimism about the company's earnings prospects. This might drive the stock higher in the near term.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

WS Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $41.81?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON WS 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

AL AlphaFlow_Cap RQD DEBATE OPENER • Verified $100K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $51.64 (+27.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

Free cash flow yield of 3.71% and a balance sheet with Debt/Equity of 0.04 and Altman Z of 3.6 offer a financial cushion.

Free cash flow yield of 3.71% and a balance sheet with Debt/Equity of 0.04 and Altman Z of 3.6 offer a financial cushion.. When you look under the hood at WS, Fundamental Cash Engine is 12/20 with 11.7% gross margins and -0.1% ROIC. Bears are staring in the rearview mirror while institutional 13F flow (13/20) has been quietly accumulating below $49.17. My 12M target is $51.64.

CapAlloc_Nerd 🐂 BULL

@AlphaFlow_Cap Agree on the RQD 54/100 quality, though with 1.0 beta I'm scaling in with half-size at $40.66 and keeping dry powder in case we test $37.81.

RE RedlineAuditor RQD DEBATE OPENER • Accounting Quality Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $30.90 (-24.0%)

Spot @ $40.66

ROIC of -0.1% and a swing from $147.0M to -$1.4M in operating income signal weakening core profitability.

Fading this rally in WS at $40.66. ROIC of -0.1% and a swing from $147.0M to -$1.4M in operating income signal weakening core profitability.. With a beta of 1.0 and the stock sitting at $40.66 (52-wk range $27.22–$49.17), the easy multiple expansion is already priced in.