FSTR
L.B. Foster Company· ·
$41.88
▼ $0.04 (-0.1%)
Market Cap
$438.01M
Day Range
$41.30 - $42.31
52-Week Range
$21.67 - $45.81
Beta
—
Next Earnings
10.08.2026
+86.1% (1Y)
This score and all analysis on this page are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Read the full disclaimer
Weighted: Technical 25% · Fundamental 20% · Growth 15% · Valuation 15% · News 10% · Quality 10% · Risk 5%
🔍 Cross-Check
Overall Score
🔴 Bearish
Technical Trend
🔴 Bearish
Insiders
🔴 Bearish
✅ Why is the score relatively high?
- 🟢 Free cash flow growth: 96.2%
- 🟢 Operating margin is stable or improving over time
- 🟢 Current ratio: 1.87
- 🟢 Price is above the 200-day average
- 🟢 Price is above the SAR point — uptrend
⚠️ What's concerning?
- 🔴 Estimated fair value: $36.83 vs. price $41.88 (-12.1%)
- 🔴 Earnings per share (EPS) growth: -82.3%
- 🔴 Net income growth: -82.4%
- 🔴 Price is below the 50-day average
- 🔴 MACD histogram is negative — falling momentum
🚦 Quality & Risk Checks
📰 News Trend
Based on real financial news (Finnhub)Everyone's writing about L.B. Foster Company. News trend score: 38. Reason: 6 of the last 16 articles are negative, versus 4 positive.
News trend analysis is based on article sentiment only, and is not investment advice or financial counsel. Read the full disclaimer
📈 Technical Analysis
Based on the last 251 trading days, calculated from real price data. Click an indicator for details and a chart.
🔴 Most indicators support a downtrend (2 bullish · 7 bearish · 2 neutral)
Conclusions
- 🔴Price vs. SMA 50 — Price is below the 50-day average
- 🟢Price vs. SMA 200 — Price is above the 200-day average
- 🔴MACD — MACD histogram is negative — falling momentum
- 🔴RSI — RSI 49.7 — weak/negative bias
- 🟡Stochastic — %K 54.1 — neutral range
- 🟡ADX (trend strength) — ADX 18.8 — weak trend/choppy
- 🔴Volume trend — Volume is falling despite the price advance — possible weakening
- 🔴Relative strength vs. S&P 500 — -2.9% over the last 3 months relative to the index
- 🔴ROC (rate of change) — ROC 12 days: -2.8%
- 🟢Parabolic SAR — Price is above the SAR point — uptrend
- 🔴CMF (money flow) — CMF 20 days: -0.05
Wyckoff Method Analysis
A market-structure read based purely on real price and volume data — not full classic Wyckoff schematic identification (Phase A-E), but a quantitative analysis of what can reliably be computed: trading ranges, "effort vs. result", volume within the range, and Spring/Upthrust detection.
A pattern consistent with an early/mid distribution phase — a trading range after an advance with declining volume.
Medium confidence
$38.62
Range Bottom
$45.81
Range Top
50
Trading Days in Range
Evidence Behind This Read
- 🟡Trading range identified — The stock is trading in a 18.6% range (between 38.62 and 45.81) over 50 trading days.
- 🔴The range follows an uptrend — Under the Wyckoff method, a trading range following an advance is a natural candidate for a Distribution phase — smart money selling to the last buyers.
- 🟢Trading volume in the range is declining — Declining volume across the range suggests supply (in accumulation) or demand (in distribution) is being exhausted — usually a sign the range is nearing its end.
The Wyckoff Method, developed by Richard Wyckoff in the early 20th century, reads the balance of supply and demand through price and volume, based on the premise that large investors ("smart money") quietly accumulate shares before rallies and quietly distribute them before declines. The read here is based solely on real price and volume data — full, precise identification of classic Wyckoff patterns (such as Phases A-E) requires human chart-reading experience and judgment, so this is an approximate algorithmic read, not a substitute for professional analysis. This should not be considered investment advice.
🎯 Trade Planning (M.A.E.E Framework)
Based on a mechanical trading method: market structure → value zone → ATR-based exit point. Not investment advice — a calculation tool only.
1️⃣ Market Structure
🟢 Uptrend
The price is above the 200-day average — per the market-structure method, this environment mainly favors looking for buying (Long) opportunities.
2️⃣ Value Zone
🟢 Price in value zone
The price is close to the 50-day moving average — per the method, this is a reasonable area to look for an entry, rather than chasing the price far from it.
3️⃣ Suggested Exit Point (ATR-based)
Method formula: Stop-loss = support minusone ATR margin — this way the stop adapts to the stock's actual volatility, rather than an arbitrary number.
Entry
$41.88
Stop-Loss
$37.07
Risk per Share
$4.81
Direction
Long
Profit Targets by Risk/Reward Ratio (R)
1:2 R
$51.50
1:3 R
$56.31
1:5 R
$65.94
💰 Position Size Calculator
A core principle of the method: never risk a fixed dollar amount — risk a fixed percentage of equity, and let the position size vary according to the risk per share.
Suggested Position Size
20 sh.
💰 Financial Health
Profitability
Gross Margin
21.1%
Operating Margin
4.1%
Net Margin
1.4%
EBITDA Margin
6.4%
Efficiency
ROE
4.3%
ROA
2.3%
ROIC
—
EPS
$0.73
Balance Sheet
Cash
$4.35M
Total Debt
—
Current Ratio
1.87
Debt/Equity
—
Conclusions
- 🟡Gross margin — Gross margin: 21.1% — reasonable
- 🔴Operating margin — Operating margin: 4.1% — weak
- 🔴Net margin — Net margin: 1.4% — weak
- 🔴Return on equity (ROE) — Return on equity (ROE): 4.3% — weak
- 🔴Return on assets (ROA) — Return on assets (ROA): 2.3% — weak
- 🟢Current ratio (liquidity) — Current ratio: 1.87
🚀 Growth
Revenue
Earnings per Share (EPS)
Net Income
Free Cash Flow (FCF)
Conclusions
- 🟡Revenue growth (last year) — Revenue growth (last year): 1.7%
- 🔴Earnings per share (EPS) growth — Earnings per share (EPS) growth: -82.3%
- 🟢Free cash flow growth — Free cash flow growth: 96.2%
- 🔴Net income growth — Net income growth: -82.4%
💎 Fair Value (Valuation)
Current Price
$41.88
Estimated Fair Value (DCF)
$36.83
Gap
-12.1%
🔴 Appears expensive relative to estimated value
Show all model (DCF) assumptions →
Year 1 Growth Rate
2.9%
Discount Rate (WACC)
9.0%
Terminal Growth Rate
2.5%
Projection Years
5
| Year | Growth Rate | Projected FCF | Present Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.9% | $25.92M | $23.78M |
| 2 | 2.8% | $26.64M | $22.43M |
| 3 | 2.7% | $27.36M | $21.13M |
| 4 | 2.6% | $28.07M | $19.89M |
| 5 | 2.5% | $28.77M | $18.70M |
Base FCF (last actual year)
$25.20M
Terminal Value
$453.73M
Present Value of Terminal Value
$294.90M
Enterprise Value
$400.82M
Net Debt
$0
Equity Value
$400.82M
*The DCF model is an estimate based on assumptions — not a guaranteed forecast. You can change the assumptions to examine different scenarios.
Book Value per Share
$16.11
Tangible Book Value per Share (Tangible NAV)
$12.01
Conclusions
- 🔴DCF Fair Value — Estimated fair value: $36.83 vs. price $41.88 (-12.1%)
- 🟡Tangible Net Asset Value (NAV) — NAV per share: $12.01
- 🔴P/E — P/E: 60.7
🕴️ Insider Trading
Real transactions by officers and insiders, as reported to the SEC on Form 4 — 0 purchases and 3 sales out of the last 25 filings.
| Name | Transaction Type | Date | Shares | Change | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowlin Jason Kyle | Grant/Award from Employer | 1.8.2026 | 6,980 | +398 | — |
| Meyer David J | Grant/Award from Employer | 30.6.2026 | 15,425 | +422 | $45.17 |
| THALMAN WILLIAM M | Grant/Award from Employer | 1.6.2026 | 79,882 | +1,128 | — |
| REILLY SEAN M | Grant/Award from Employer | 1.6.2026 | 29,953 | +895 | — |
| Curran Timothy Joseph | Grant/Award from Employer | 1.6.2026 | 9,090 | +295 | — |
| THALMAN WILLIAM M | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 78,754 | -1,178 | $38.11 |
| LIPPARD GREGORY W | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 75,031 | -905 | $38.11 |
| OWEN DIANE B | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 78,397 | -96 | $38.11 |
| KASEL JOHN F | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 239,663 | -4,102 | $38.11 |
| REILLY SEAN M | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 29,058 | -425 | $38.11 |
| Kunz John E | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 21,773 | -36 | $38.11 |
| Guinee Patrick J. | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 87,341 | -1,077 | $38.11 |
| Ness Robert | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 32,370 | -683 | $38.11 |
| Friedman Brian Hunter | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 31,132 | -416 | $38.11 |
| Rolli Sara Fay | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 9,224 | -352 | $38.11 |
| O'Neill Jamie F | Tax Withholding in Shares | 22.5.2026 | 16,239 | -269 | $38.11 |
| OWEN DIANE B | Grant/Award from Employer | 21.5.2026 | 78,493 | +2,363 | — |
| Betler Raymond T | Grant/Award from Employer | 21.5.2026 | 38,082 | +2,363 | — |
| Kunz John E | Grant/Award from Employer | 21.5.2026 | 21,809 | +2,363 | — |
| Meyer David J | Grant/Award from Employer | 21.5.2026 | 15,003 | +2,363 | — |
| Thompson Bruce Ernest | Grant/Award from Employer | 21.5.2026 | 21,915 | +2,363 | — |
| 22NW, LP | Open Market Sale | 1.4.2026 | 1,027,255 | -38,431 | $28.05 |
| Meyer David J | Grant/Award from Employer | 31.3.2026 | 12,640 | +683 | $27.90 |
| 22NW, LP | Open Market Sale | 31.3.2026 | 1,065,686 | -1,500 | $28.02 |
| 22NW, LP | Open Market Sale | 30.3.2026 | 1,067,186 | -1,887 | $28.01 |
📉 Short Interest
Official FINRA data — the number of shares open in short positions, plus daily short-sale activity.
Monthly Trend — Open Short Interest
266,934 shares short as of 2026-07-15 · vs. 246,478 on 2026-06-30
Official biweekly report (FINRA Rule 4560) — no real higher-frequency data exists for this metric.
Weekly Trend — Daily Short-Sale Activity
51.9% of trading volume this week was short selling, vs. 60.1% the prior week
Based on daily short-sale volume (Reg SHO) — a different metric from the open short interest above: this is daily trading volume, not an open position, so it updates weekly rather than biweekly.
📰 News & Sentiment
Sentiment based on basic keywords (not AI) — 4 positive, 6 neutral, 6 negative out of the last 16 articles.
Yahoo · 6.8.2026
Zacks · 6.8.2026
Yahoo · 3.8.2026
GlobeNewswire · 3.8.2026
Yahoo · 31.7.2026
StockStory · 31.7.2026
Yahoo · 30.7.2026
GlobeNewswire · 30.7.2026
Yahoo · 30.7.2026
Zacks · 30.7.2026
Yahoo · 24.7.2026
StockStory · 24.7.2026
StockStory · 23.7.2026
StockStory · 20.7.2026
StockStory · 29.6.2026
ACCESS Newswire · 16.6.2026