Stock Ratings / Materials / WS / options

WOR (72) ROCK (52) SIM (46) SID (44) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

Worthington Steel Inc. (WS) Options Positioning, Max Pain & Unusual Sweeps

$40.66 -3.40% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $40.33

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.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 55/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-0.5% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE D+ • SELL / AVOID Cap $2.16B

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

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on WS Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 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.

✓ 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+ (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).

✓ 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: $40.33 (-0.80%)🧬 Disciplined Float (-0.12% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 12/20 (C-) • 2.3% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 55/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-0.5% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 51.4% 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-1.4% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for WS)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±10.9%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (55/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY WS SCORES 55/100 (D+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+14/20 pts (25% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±10.9% 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$37.99+9.7% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade C-$41.66+1.4% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C-$42.23-3.7% Next Q

Current

Grade D+$40.66-0.5% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: D (47) → D+ (55)Full Audit →

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

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the WS Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

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.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

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).

🎲 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 55%NO 45%Trade / Inspect Odds →

CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

Put/Call Ratio: — (No Active Options Snapshot)

MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file

HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING

±10.9%

Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (WS)

— (No Active Options Snapshot) — No unusual CBOE strike concentration anomalies recorded in the current database snapshot for WS.

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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

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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WS // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +6.83%▲ ASCENDING CHANNEL

2026-11-02O $42.35H $42.35L $40.66C $40.66VOL 498.1K

RES: $44.33SUP: $32.66SMA50: $36.81SMA200: $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 (#25)

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

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

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 (#33)

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 #60 of 270 ⚔️ WOR vs WS Full Matrix →

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 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 $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 × FRED

What is WS's options positioning and volatility profile?

Roarable tracks verified CBOE unusual options sweeps, put/call ratios, and OHLCV realized volatility bands for WS.

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 55/100 (D+) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

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

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5

As of: 2026-11-02T15:26:35Z

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

💬 Jump to WS Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 13h 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 • 16h 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 • 19h 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 • 22h 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 $40.66?

🐂 50% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON WS 🐻 50% BEARISH CONVICTION

RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk ⚖️ DEBATE HOST 🎯 Target: $45.46 (+8.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 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.

SK SkepticalCFA Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $34.51 (-18.0%)

Spot @ $42.09

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.

MA MacroHawk_NYC Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $50.93 (+21.0%)

Spot @ $42.09

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.