Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Why WS Stock dropped -3.40% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) carries a Roarable Rating of D+ (Sell) with 55/100 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.
🤖 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 2026-11-02, Worthington Steel Inc. (NYSE: WS) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 55/100 at a spot price of $40.66 (-3.40% 1D, market cap $2.16B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 14/20, Executive Insider Alignment 12/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 9/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 8/20. Across 270 tracked Materials issuers, WS ranks #60 in composite RQD confidence.
🤖 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+ (55/100 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 B grade (72/100 RQD, P/E 20.3x, ROIC 5.5%, cap $3.16B) and ROCK (Gibraltar Industries Inc.) posts a D+ grade (52/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 11.6%, cap $1.20B). Among the 5-stock peer group, WOR leads on earnings multiple (20.3x) while ROCK leads on capital efficiency (11.6% ROIC).
🤖 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.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±10.9% realized swing band)
SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 2.3% FCF Margin ($80.0M FCF) & 11.7% Gross Margin
Disciplined Float (-0.12% YoY Shares) & executive Form 4 sales trim 12 pts from alignment
⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the WS Bull Thesis Could Fail
Even with a 55/100 (D+) score, WS faces multiple-compression risk if current valuation multiples re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.
Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.
Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.
Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($36.81) or 200D SMA ($37.67) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($40.11) toward Bear Floor ($31.29).
Why WS Stock dropped -3.40% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) dropped -3.40% to $40.66, trading at 61% of its 52-week range ($27.22 – $49.17). Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-0% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
- ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 61% of its 52-week range ($27.22 – $49.17) with RSI-14 at 61.7 (BULLISH MOMENTUM).
- ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±10.9% around $40.66 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
- ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable D+ (Sell) backed by 11.7% gross margin and $80.0M annual free cash flow.
Seeking Alpha report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
CNBC report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Investing.com report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
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.
Worthington Steel has delivered a strong share price run over the past year, and the latest acquisition driven jump in sales puts fresh attention on what investors are paying for each dollar of its revenue. The key issue
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
WS Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. +11.3% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on WS today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for WS. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (WS)
1. Head-to-Head Materials Peer Comparison (WS vs. WOR, ROCK, SIM, SID)
Industry: Steel/Iron Ore (26 Tracked Issuers)Across 270 tracked Materials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) ranks #60 by composite RQD confidence (55/100, grade D+) and #108 by equity capitalization ($2.16B). 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 72/100 (B) compared with WS at 55/100 (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+ | 55/100 | — | 11.7% | -0.1% | -3.40% | $2.16B | Benchmark Subject |
| WOR Worthington Enterprises Inc. | B | 72/100 | 20.3x | 27.4% | 5.5% | -2.30% | $3.16B | /wor-vs-ws → |
| ROCK Gibraltar Industries Inc. | D+ | 52/100 | — | 26.9% | 11.6% | -0.57% | $1.20B | /rock-vs-ws → |
| SIM Grupo Simec S.A.B. de C.V. | D | 46/100 | — | — | — | +3.85% | $4.10B | /sim-vs-ws → |
| SID Companhia Siderurgica Nacional S.A. | D | 44/100 | — | — | — | -8.30% | $1.03B | /sid-vs-ws → |
2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)
SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-05-31 • CIK 0001968487In 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 ENABLEDIs WS stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
As of 2026-11-02, Worthington Steel Inc. (NYSE: WS) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 55/100 at a spot price of $40.66 (-3.40% 1D, market cap $2.16B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 14/20, Executive Insider Alignment 12/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 9/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 8/20. Across 270 tracked Materials issuers, WS ranks #60 in composite RQD confidence.
How does WS compare to WOR and ROCK in the Materials sector?
Within the Materials sector (Steel/Iron Ore), WS carries a Roarable D+ (55/100 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 B grade (72/100 RQD, P/E 20.3x, ROIC 5.5%, cap $3.16B) and ROCK (Gibraltar Industries Inc.) posts a D+ grade (52/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 11.6%, cap $1.20B). Among the 5-stock peer group, WOR leads on earnings multiple (20.3x) while ROCK leads on capital efficiency (11.6% ROIC).
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for WS?
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.
Where is WS trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?
WS last traded at $40.66 (-3.40% on volume of 375,357 shares), positioning the stock +10.46% above its 50-day simple moving average ($36.81) and +7.94% above its 200-day simple moving average ($37.67). Across its 52-week range of $27.22 to $49.17, WS sits at the 61.2% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 61.7 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±10.9% ($36.23 to $45.09).
WS Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index
100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FREDWhy is WS stock moving today?
Why WS Stock dropped -3.40% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-0% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
WS — Worthington Steel Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor
Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor
Per the Roarable RQD rating, WS scores 55 out of 100, a letter grade of D+, with the verdict "Roarable Sell — Weak Fundamentals / Trim." The five pillars are: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20 (ROIC -0.1%; FCF yield 3.71%); Whale 13F Flow 14/20 (institutional accumulation and options positioning); Insider Conviction 8/20 (SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow); Macro Regime Fit 9/20 (Beta 1.0; sector sensitivity); and Forensic Balance Sheet 12/20 (Altman Z 3.6; Piotroski F 6/9; Debt/Equity 0.04).
For a prospective investor, the scoring points to a company whose operating economics are currently weak even though its balance sheet is not stretched. The 12/20 cash-engine score coincides with a near-zero ROIC and a 3.71% FCF yield, which suggests free cash flow is being generated relative to market value while the business earns little return on invested capital. The lowest pillar, insider conviction at 8/20, indicates that insider flow in the source data does not provide a strong confirmation signal. The whale-flow pillar (14/20) is the strongest, reflecting institutional and options positioning, but the verdict label itself frames the overall picture as weak fundamentals with a trim bias. Upside drivers would need to come from margin recovery and earnings normalization; valuation tradeoffs are difficult to assess because P/E and EV/EBITDA are not available in source data.
Financial Trend
| Period | Revenue | Operating Income | Net Income | EPS | FCF | Cash | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | $3443.8M | $-1.4M | $-13.0M | N/A | $80.0M | $89.8M | $41.7M |
| FY 2024 | $3093.3M | $147.0M | $119.0M | N/A | $99.9M | $52.0M | $0.0M |
| FY 2023 | $3430.6M | $194.5M | $170.0M | N/A | $199.5M | N/A | N/A |
Per the SEC financials, revenue rose from $3093.3M in FY 2024 to $3443.8M in FY 2025 while net income moved from $119.0M to $-13.0M, and operating income moved from $147.0M to $-1.4M. Per the market data, gross margin is 11.7%, operating margin is 0%, net margin is -0.4%, and ROIC is -0.1%. Per the Roarable RQD rating, the Altman Z-Score is 3.6 and the Piotroski F-Score is 6/9, with a Debt/Equity ratio of 0.04. Per the SEC financials, cash rose to $89.8M and debt to $41.7M in FY 2025.
Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis
Per the recent news wire, the headlines carry the following themes:
- Market action (YELLOW): "Why Worthington Steel Melted Down on Wednesday" (Yahoo Finance, 1h ago).
- Growth vs. earnings (GREEN): A Seeking Alpha report highlights 212% revenue growth alongside EPS moving backward.
- Acquisition-driven sales with net loss (GREEN): A Yahoo Finance report notes the stock rose 7.2% after acquisition-fueled sales growth but a net loss emerged.
- Debt watch (GREEN): A Simply Wall St report frames the stock as grappling with debt following a Kloeckner-fueled revenue surge.
- Midday movers (GREEN): A CNBC report lists Worthington Steel among the biggest midday movers.
- Insider sale (YELLOW): An Investing.com report covers president Larivey selling $287,998 in stock.
Per the butterfly supply-chain graph, the sector is Materials, the industry is Steel/Iron Ore, the supply chain is listed as NONE, and no butterfly links or proprietary signals are present.
Open Questions
- What are the specific drivers of the swing from $147.0M operating income in FY 2024 to $-1.4M in FY 2025, and are they recurring?
- What is the acquisition referenced in the news wire, and how does it bear on the debt increase from $0.0M to $41.7M?
- What are the current P/E, forward P/E, EV/EBITDA, and EPS (TTM) figures, which are absent from the source data?
- Who are the company's customers and what share of revenue comes from the Kloeckner relationship?
- What is the basis for the institutional and options positioning reflected in the whale pillar, given that no holder data is provided?
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
Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
CNBC report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Investing.com report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
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.
WS Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $40.66?
🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is WS (D+ • RQD 55/100) a Buy at $42.09?
Welcome to the WS (Worthington Steel Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 55/100 (Roarable Sell — Weak Fundamentals / Trim) in Steel/Iron Ore. Bulls point to operating leverage and sector positioning, while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.
Pump the brakes on WS — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds
Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on WS, but look at what you are paying: current EV/EBITDA multiples with 11.7% gross margins. Unless Worthington Steel Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.
WS cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here
Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on WS, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Steel/Iron Ore and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $42.09 (52-wk range $27.22 - $49.17), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.