Stocktoria
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC MSM
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM) earns a Piotroski F-score of 5/9 (mixed financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the safe zone. It pays a dividend yielding 1.25% (safety: no dividend). FY2025 revenue was $3.8B at a 5.3% 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: -2.73 — 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
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Firm | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | DA Davidson | Buy (init) |
| 2026-06-02 | Keybanc | Overweight (main) |
| 2026-04-27 | Keybanc | Overweight (up) |
| 2026-02-06 | JP Morgan | Neutral (down) |
| 2025-10-24 | JP Morgan | Overweight (main) |
| 2025-10-15 | JP Morgan | Overweight (main) |
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
Smart money · insiders, last 12 months
Open-market insider purchases minus sells (SEC Form 4) — real buying with their own money is a bullish “smart money” signal; grants and option exercises are excluded.
How it ranks in Wholesale Trade · percentile among 112 companies
Percentile vs other Wholesale Trade companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 5/9 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 | 0.202 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.176 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.122 |
| Equity / liabilities | 1.311 |
Sector peers · similar-size Wholesale Trade companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSM | MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC | 5/9 | 4.1 | 33.1 | -1.3% |
| DXPE | DXP ENTERPRISES INC | 7/9 | 4.55 | 28.6 | +11.9% |
| ALTG | ALTA EQUIPMENT GROUP INC. | 5/9 | 0.59 | — | -2.2% |
| GIC | GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL Co | 7/9 | 5.5 | 18.6 | +4.8% |
| TXRP | TX Rail Products, Inc. | 5/9 | — | 237.8 | — |
| MCK | MCKESSON CORP | 6/9 | 0.58 | 18.8 | +12.4% |
| CAH | CARDINAL HEALTH INC | 6/9 | -0.03 | 32.5 | +14.2% |
All Wholesale Trade companies →
About MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's metalworking and MRO products include cutting tools, abrasives, machining fluids, measuring instruments, metalworking products, machinery and accessories, tooling components, fasteners, flat stock products, raw materials, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies. It also offers stock-keeping units through its catalogs and brochures; e-commerce channels, including its website; inventory management solutions; and customer care centers, customer fulfillment centers, regional inventory centers and warehouses. In addition, the company serves individual machine shops, manufacturing companies, and government agencies. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Melville, New York.
FAQ
Is MSM financially healthy?
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC's Piotroski F-score is 5/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the safe zone.
Does MSM pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC pays a dividend yielding about 1.25% with a None payout ratio, rated “no dividend” for safety.
How profitable is MSM?
In FY2025, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC had a net margin of 5.3% and a return on equity of 14.3%.
Is MSM overvalued or undervalued?
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC trades at about 33.5× trailing earnings — above its 10-year norm (10-year range 12.0×–25.8×, median 18.7×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for MSM?
The average Wall-Street price target for MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC is $108.67, about 9.0% below the recent price, from 6 analysts (consensus: hold).
Is MSM a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC: a Piotroski F-score of 5/9, an Altman Z″ in the safe zone, a P/E of about 33.1×, a dividend yield of 1.25%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2025-08-30. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.