ACME UNITED CORP ACU
ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) earns a Piotroski F-score of 7/9 (strong financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the safe zone. It pays a dividend yielding 1.28% (safety: safe). FY2025 revenue was $196.5M at a 5.2% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -2.64 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
How it ranks in Manufacturing · percentile among 1957 companies
Percentile vs other Manufacturing companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 7/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · safe zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.429 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.598 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.086 |
| Equity / liabilities | 2.203 |
Sector peers · similar-size Manufacturing companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACU | ACME UNITED CORP | 7/9 | 7.65 | 18 | +1.1% |
| CIX | COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC | 6/9 | 14.52 | 16.6 | +8.5% |
| EML | EASTERN CO | 7/9 | 6 | 20.6 | -8.7% |
| RECT | Rectitude Holdings Ltd. | 5/9 | 5.02 | — | +22% |
| LCUT | LIFETIME BRANDS, INC | 4/9 | 2.88 | — | -5.1% |
| HLMN | Hillman Solutions Corp. | 7/9 | 2.3 | 41.2 | +5.4% |
| SSD | Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. | 6/9 | 7.08 | 25 | +4.5% |
About ACME UNITED CORP
Acme United Corporation supplies cutting, measuring, first aid, and sharpening products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company offers scissors, shears, knives, rulers, pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, safety cutters, lettering products, glue guns, and other craft products under the Westcott brand name; and cutting tools under the Clauss brand. It also provides sharpening knives, scissors, chisels, skis, skates, and other edges under the DMT brand. In addition, the company offers first aid kits and safety solutions under the First Aid Only brand; portable eyewash solution and over-the-counter medication, including active ingredients aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen under the PhysiciansCare brand; bodily fluid and spill clean-up solution under the Spill Magic brand; various first aid kit, refill, and safety supplies, including CPR kits, burn kits, and automotive and emergency first aid kits under the First Aid Central; first aid kits for the promotional products industry under Safety Made brand; alcohol prep pads, alcohol wipes, benzalkonium chloride wipes, various antiseptic wipes under the Med-Nap brand, and Pac-Kit, as well as My Medic brands. It sells its products directly and through its independent manufacturer representatives to wholesale, contract, and retail stationery distributors; office supply superstores, mass market retailers, industrial and medical distributors, school supply distributors, drug store retailers, sporting goods stores, hardware chains, and wholesale florists, as well as through its websites. The company was formerly known as Acme Shear Company and changed its name to Acme United Corporation in 1971. Acme United Corporation was founded in 1867 and is based in Shelton, Connecticut.
FAQ
Is ACU financially healthy?
ACME UNITED CORP's Piotroski F-score is 7/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the safe zone.
Does ACU pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. ACME UNITED CORP pays a dividend yielding about 1.28% with a 23.0% payout ratio, rated “safe” for safety.
How profitable is ACU?
In FY2025, ACME UNITED CORP had a net margin of 5.2% and a return on equity of 8.7%.
Is ACU overvalued or undervalued?
ACME UNITED CORP trades at about 23.9× trailing earnings — above its 10-year norm (10-year range 9.6×–28.8×, median 14.9×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for ACU?
The average Wall-Street price target for ACME UNITED CORP is $53.00, about 11.1% below the recent price, from 1 analysts.
Is ACU a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on ACME UNITED CORP: a Piotroski F-score of 7/9, an Altman Z″ in the safe zone, a P/E of about 18.0×, a dividend yield of 1.28%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2025-12-31. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.