Acme United Corporation (ACU) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Nov 6, 2026: fair value (intrinsic value) of Acme United Corporation stock $40.85, price $68.38, that is 40.3% below the price, quality 53 out of 100. Rating: strongly overvalued. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceableSee the method →
Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year. As of Nov 3, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $20.31 – $70.75 · fair‑value band $23.50 – $62.83 · the $68.38 price screens above the $40.85 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). 1 fiscal year is left out: there the valuation rested on only a fraction of the usual models. As of Nov 3, 2026.
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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.
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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.
Stock analysis
Acme United Corporation (ACU) currently trades at $68.38, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $40.85, 40% below the price, so the stock looks overvalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the Multiples group reads highest at a median of $51.49 per share, and 0 of the 26 models we run sit above the $68.38 price.
Bear case: the Dividend Discount group reads lowest at $7.66, and 26 of the 26 models stay below the price. Data coverage for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: $23.50 (bear) to $62.83 (bull), the price of $68.38 sits above it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 53/100 (solid quality), in the Consumer Defensive sector.
Healthy Growth: Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Acme United Corporation reported revenue of $197M in FY2025 versus $182M in FY2021, a compound +1.9%/yr. Reported net income was $10.2M in FY2025, compounding −7.1%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap $283M Micro · P/E ratio 24.9 · P/S ratio 1.28 · EPS (TTM) $2.75 · Dividend yield 0.9% · Net margin 5.1% · Return on equity 9.4% · Return on assets (EBIT) 7.7% (5-year average).
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 41 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 3% below its 52-week high and 95% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Consumer Defensive peers we cover trades at −26% fair-value upside, at −40%, ACU screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear$23.50Fair Value $40.85Bull$62.83
Price $68.38 · Downside -40.3%
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above starts from their evidence-weighted blend, not from a single model. In cyclical trough or peak years, after dilution or a stock split it is adjusted afterwards, so it can sit above or below the models. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 10 months old). Earnings retained since then ($1.81 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target. If a model's bull case is above four times its base value, the table shows that limit with a > sign (like the overall Bull above): beyond it no assumption holds.Coverage ⓘCoverage = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
In the last 6 months, 5 officers or directors sold shares worth $3.2M and none bought.
SaleBrian S OlschanPresident and COO, Director5× since May 28, 2026: 40,957 shares, avg. $61.28$2.5MNov 4, 2026
SaleSusan H MurphyDirector2,890 shares at $67.00$193,630Nov 3, 2026
SaleRichmond Y Holden JrDirector341 shares at $62.01$21,145Oct 9, 2026
SaleBrian BarkerDirector3,821 shares at $60.50$231,171Aug 13, 2026
SaleRex Lynn DavidsonDirector3,684 shares at $56.48$208,072Aug 10, 2026
Plus 14 other filings such as grants, option exercises or tax withholding. They are not market purchases or sales.
Sales are often planned (taxes, diversification, 10b5-1 plans). Purchases with their own money are seen as the stronger sign. For information only: not part of the quality score or Fair Value.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.62/100
Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Revenue growth 1 year
+1.1%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+0.4%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+3.7%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: +6.0% a year
Revenue growth 40 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+4.3%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
+2.4%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+1.5%
Dividend (yield on the price)0.9%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.1.5% vs 6.3%, slowing
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.7% → 8%
Pace: the 5-year rate starts in 2020 (pandemic)
Growth Forecast
A lot of optimism in the price
The price assumes more growth than the company has delivered so far.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
+26.7%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect
n/a
No analyst forecast available.
After inflation (USA: IMF forecast 2.4% a year to 2030, 3.1% from 2016 to 2025) that is about +23.7% a year for the price.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (72 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Hype
Recent news coverage is unusually upbeat, far more positive than stocks are typically covered.
Compare Acme United Corporation with another stock
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Household & Personal Products · 230 stocks
Beats the industry median on 4/15 measures
Overall it trails its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score53 · Below median
Fair Value upside−40.3% · Bottom 25%
Profitability
Return on equity (12 months)9.4% · Above median
Return on assets5.8% · Above median
Net margin (12 months)5.1% · Below median
Operating margin (12 months)3.9% · Below median
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth (quarter YoY)18.2% · Top 25%
Dividend yield (12 months)0.9% · Bottom 25%
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.18× · Above median
Valuation Multiplesvs Household & Personal Products median · lower = cheaper
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "Acme United Corporation Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/ACU
Frequently asked questions
Is Acme United Corporation (ACU) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Nov 3, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $40.85 versus a price of $68.38, about 40% lower (overvalued).
What is the fair value of ACU?
Our model-based fair value for Acme United Corporation is $40.85 (as of Nov 3, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $68.38.
What is the quality score of ACU?
Acme United Corporation has a Quality Score of 53/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $40.85 (as of Nov 3, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario $23.50, optimistic scenario $62.83. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Acme United Corporation stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $40.85, about 40% lower versus a price of $68.38 (overvalued). Cautious scenario $23.50, optimistic scenario $62.83. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Acme United Corporation reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $221M (latest available figure, as of Nov 3, 2026).
Does Acme United Corporation pay a dividend?
Acme United Corporation currently shows a dividend yield of 0.94% relative to its recent price (as of Nov 3, 2026).
How much is the dividend of Acme United Corporation (ACU) and when is the ex-dividend date?
Acme United Corporation pays a dividend of $0.64 per share a year, a dividend yield of 0.9%. The last ex-dividend date was Oct 2, 2026. A dividend has been paid every year since 2004. The payout ratio is 23.3% of earnings. Free cash flow covers the dividend 3.09 times. Our assessment: Well covered. A low payout and the dividend is fully funded by free cash flow, a comfortable, sustainable dividend.
What growth is priced into Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Acme United Corporation would have to grow free cash flow by +26.7 % per year for five years (discount rate 11.2 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +3.7 % per year. As of Nov 3, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of ACU use?
Our models discount Acme United Corporation at 11.2 %: a base by market capitalisation (micro), damped by beta 0.41, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Acme United Corporation that is +26.7 % per year for five years, then slowing evenly to 2 % by year ten, using the same discount rate (11.2 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Acme United Corporation (ACU) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Acme United Corporation grew +3.7 % a year. The price currently implies free-cash-flow growth of +26.7 % per year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Acme United Corporation (ACU) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +7.8 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Acme United Corporation (+26.7 % per year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 2.68 %: that much free cash flow Acme United Corporation produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (11.2 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Acme United Corporation it is $40.85 per share (as of Nov 3, 2026), against a price of $68.38. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models in 8 families (DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings).
Is Acme United Corporation stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Nov 3, 2026, ACU trades above its calculated fair value: price $68.38, fair value $40.85, a gap of about −40% (overvalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of ACU?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($68.38); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($40.85). For Acme United Corporation the two are $27.53 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Acme United Corporation worth?
The market values Acme United Corporation at about $283M (market capitalisation, as of Nov 3, 2026). Per share that is $68.38; our models calculate a fair value of $40.85 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about ACU?
Our models span a range for Acme United Corporation: cautious scenario $23.50, base $40.85, optimistic $62.83 per share (as of Nov 3, 2026, price $68.38). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of ACU?
Acme United Corporation trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.9 (as of Nov 3, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of $40.85 is built from several models across several years. Median P/E at fiscal year-end, 9 fiscal years (2016 to 2025), reported earnings, FY2025 ex one-offs: 15.3. Other multiples: PEG 1.5, P/B 2.4, P/S 1.3, EV/EBITDA 15.4.
What is the PEG ratio of ACU?
The PEG ratio of Acme United Corporation is 1.54 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Nov 3, 2026). That is above 1, so the growth is already paid for in the price.
How solid is the balance sheet of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Balance-sheet figures for Acme United Corporation (as of Nov 3, 2026): return on equity 9.4%, debt of 0.18 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 53/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is ACU from its 52-week high?
Acme United Corporation trades at $68.38, about 3% below its 52-week high of $70.75 and 95% above the low of $35.03 (as of Nov 6, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $40.85 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Acme United Corporation?
From the same area (Consumer Defensive) we also value Colgate-Palmolive Company, Hindustan Unilever Limited, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc, Henkel AG, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Acme United Corporation stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Nov 3, 2026: price $68.38, calculated fair value $40.85 (−40%), Quality Score 53/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of ACU calculated?
We run Acme United Corporation through 26 models from 8 families: DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the fair value of $40.85 builds on their evidence-weighted average, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 13.3% above its aggregate fair value. Acme United Corporation itself currently trades above fair value. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The closing price on Nov 6, 2026 was $68.38. Our model-based fair value is $40.85, about 40% lower (overvalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Acme United Corporation right now?
The price sits above even our optimistic bull case ($62.83). The favourable scenario is already priced in. The model range is unusually wide ($23.50 to $62.83). The outcome hinges heavily on assumptions, so read the point estimate with caution. Solid but not exceptional quality (53/100) and above fair value, neither a clear bargain nor a standout compounder.
Where does the earnings growth of Acme United Corporation (ACU) come from?
Earnings per share at Acme United Corporation grew +9.4 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share +5.0 %, EBIT margin +0.7 %, tax rate +0.7 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +2.7 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of Acme United Corporation
How large is the market capitalisation of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The market capitalisation of Acme United Corporation is $283M. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Acme United Corporation is 1.28 (last twelve months). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Earnings per share at Acme United Corporation are $2.75 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 24.9). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The dividend yield of Acme United Corporation is 0.9% (payout 23.3%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The net margin of Acme United Corporation is 5.1% (last twelve months). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Acme United Corporation is 9.4% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Acme United Corporation is 7.7% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
The operating margin of Acme United Corporation is 3.9% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Revenue at Acme United Corporation is growing +18.2% versus a year earlier (3y avg +0.4%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Acme United Corporation (ACU)?
Earnings per share at Acme United Corporation are growing +73.9% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Acme United Corporation (ACU) carry?
The net debt of Acme United Corporation is $28.7M (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 3.8 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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Broad data
Nov 3, 2026