Commercial Metals

CMC on NYSE. Commercial Metals sells steel products to builders, manufacturers, and fabricators. Market value $7.2bn.

Watch this stockFree. We tell you when something changes.

Price checks use the past 12 months to May 2026. Some use the latest annual report instead, as marked. Quality checks use five annual reports, the latest for the year to August 2025.

Should I look at this?

Worth a closer look

Read what could go wrong

This is not advice. Check the numbers below.

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Cash yield
past 12 months to May 2026
5.6%fair

For every $100 of what the whole company costs, it produced $5.64 of spare cash in the past 12 months. A savings account pays about $4.

Price to profit
annual report to August 2025
n/a

The filings do not give us enough to work this out.

Return on capital
five annual reports to August 2025
17.8%five-year median

Each dollar kept in the business earns 18 cents a year. Above 10 is good.

Quality score: 94 of 100. Price score: 81 of 100. Our list needs 70 on quality and 60 on price.

$64.91 a share, 22% above its 1-year low

Over the past year the price has ranged from $53.08 to $84.87.

Dividend: 1.1% a year

Paid every year for at least 5 years

Prices from Tuesday’s close (6 October).

Five years of cash, in billions

0.0
0.3
0.7
0.6
0.3
0.4
2021202220232024202512 monthsto May '26
Revenue
$6.7bn$8.9bn$8.8bn$7.9bn$7.8bn
Operating margin
8.7%17.6%13.2%8.6%n/a
Debt to equity
0.470.460.280.280.33
Shares outstanding
0.12bn0.12bn0.11bn0.11bn0.11bn

Health checks

  • Free cash flow positive5 of 5 years
  • Accounting looks honest (Beneish)Nothing unusual
  • Financial strength (Piotroski)5 of 9
  • Profit backed by cash (accruals)Yes
  • Debt0.33× equity
  • Revenue growth, five yearsSlow, 7.3% a year
  • Buying back its own sharesYes, 8% fewer since 2021

The quarter to May 2026

How the business did, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.

  • Sales: $2.5 billion last quarter, up 23% on a year ago.
  • Profit: $173 million, up 108% on a year ago.
  • Spare cash over the past 12 months: $405 million, up from $376 million.
  • 2% fewer shares than a year ago. Each share owns a bit more of the company.
  • Debt is $2.9 billion more than cash, up from $459 million a year ago.
  • Sales grew on a year ago in each of the last 4 quarters.
Sales by quarter
Sales by quarter
Quarter toAmount
August 2024$2.0bn
November 2024$1.9bn
February 2025$1.8bn
May 2025$2.0bn
August 2025$2.1bn
November 2025$2.1bn
February 2026$2.1bn
May 2026$2.5bn
Profit by quarter
Profit by quarter
Quarter toAmount
August 2024$104m
November 2024-$176m
February 2025$25m
May 2025$83m
August 2025$152m
November 2025$177m
February 2026$93m
May 2026$173m

From the company's quarterly reports to the SEC.

Dates

Next results (estimated)
n/a
Last annual report (10-K)
16 October 2025
Next quarterly (estimated, 10-Q)
28 September 2026

Who owns it

7 long-term investors we follow own it, down from 8 last quarter. 522 funds in all.

Jun '25
Dec '25
Jun '26

Sold out this quarter

Largest holders overall

From 13F filings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.

Big holders and activists

5 investors own more than 5%.

From Schedule 13D and 13G filings: anyone owning more than 5% must file one.

What insiders did

In the last 12 months, 3 insiders bought $853,885 of shares on the open market. 2 sold $2m.

  • McPherson John R
    Director
    Bought
    Date
    13 August 2026
    Shares
    1,390
    Price
    $71.92
    Value
    $99,969
  • MATT PETER R
    President and CEO, Director
    Bought
    Date
    10 July 2026
    Shares
    8,230
    Price
    $61.30
    Value
    $504,499
  • DURBIN JENNIFER J
    Fmr. Chief HR & Comm. Officer
    Sold
    Date
    3 February 2026
    Shares
    25,050
    Price
    $79.97
    Value
    $2m
  • ARRIOLA DENNIS V
    Director
    Bought
    Date
    20 January 2026
    Shares
    2,000
    Price
    $74.69
    Value
    $149,380
  • Halloran Brian N.
    SVP, N. America Steel Group
    Sold
    Date
    31 October 2025
    Shares
    6,232
    Price
    $59.87
    Value
    $373,110
  • McPherson John R
    Director
    Bought
    Date
    20 October 2025
    Shares
    1,722
    Price
    $58.09
    Value
    $100,037

From Form 4 filings: insiders must report trades in their own company's shares within two days.

Warning signs in its filings

Problems the company itself reported to the SEC, in its own words.

None of the warning signs we check for were found.

We look for five warning signs: doubt it can keep going, weak checks on its own accounts, a notice that its past accounts can't be relied on, a change of auditor, and one customer bringing in a big share of sales. We don't check lawsuits, investigations or debt yet.

We checked the auditor's report, internal controls, restatement notices, auditor changes and big customers in the 10-K filed 16 Oct 2025, plus the 10-Q filed 29 Jun 2026 and 17 later 8-Ks.

A 10-K is the yearly report every US company files with the SEC. An 8-K is a short notice of a big event.

What could go wrong

Cheap for a reason is the question the numbers cannot answer.

Whether the price already reflects the risks is what the deep dive is for.

What changed in the risks this year

Companies must list what could hurt them each year. These are the parts that changed since last year’s report.

  • Enhanced U.S. tariffs, import/export restrictions or other trade barriers may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets and our business.

    Could happen
    Tariffs or trade restrictions that may be implemented by the U.S. or retaliatory trade measures or tariffs implemented by other countries could result in reduced economic activity, increased costs in operating the Company’s business, reduced demand and changes in purchasing behaviors for the Company’s customers, limits on trade with the U.S. or other potentially adverse economic outcomes. Additionally, the Company’s international sales also may be impacted by the tariffs and other restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. While tariffs and other retaliatory trade measures imposed by other countries on U.S. goods and services have not yet had a significant impact on the Company’s business or results of operations, the Company cannot predict further developments, and such existing or future tariffs could have a material adverse effect on results of the Company’s operations, financial position and cash flows.
    Read more
  • We may not be able to successfully identify, consummate or integrate acquisitions, and acquisitions may adversely affect our financial leverage.

    Could happen
    The pursuit of acquisitions may pose certain risks to us. We may not be able to identify acquisition candidates that fit our criteria for growth and profitability. Even if we are able to identify such candidates, we may not be able to acquire them on terms or financing satisfactory to us. We will incur expenses and dedicate attention and resources associated with the review of acquisition opportunities, whether or not we consummate such acquisitions. In addition, potential acquisition targets may operate in industries in which we do not currently operate. For example, on September 17, 2025, we entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement with Concrete Pipe & Precast, LLC ("CP&P"), Eagle Corporation and ECPP, LLC, pursuant to which we will acquire all of the issued and outstanding equity securities of CP&P, a leading supplier of precast concrete solutions (the "CP&P Purchase Agreement"). Additionally, on October 15, 2025, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with respect to the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding equity securities of entities that own Foley Products Company, LLC ("Foley"), another leading supplier of precast concrete solutions (the "Foley Purchase Agreement"). The acquisitions of CP&P, Foley or any future acquisition in a new industry could result in unforeseen operating challenges and difficulties, and subject us to unfamiliar legal requirements.
    Read more
  • Enhanced U.S. tariffs, import/export restrictions or other trade barriers may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets and our business.

    Already happened
    There is currently significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and various other countries with respect to trade policies, treaties, tariffs and taxes. Current or future tariffs imposed by the U.S. may negatively impact our customers’ businesses, thereby causing an indirect negative impact on our sales. For example, during 2025, the U.S. presidential administration threatened or imposed tariffs on imports from various countries, including, among others, China, Mexico and Canada. In response, some of these countries threatened or announced tariffs on imports from the U.S. The extent to which these threats will be enacted and the duration for which enacted tariffs will be in place remain uncertain and could lead to economic decline, which could negatively impact demand for our products and adversely affect our results of operations. Uncertainty regarding tariffs has increased uncertainty in the market related to future costs of projects and the availability of materials, which has resulted in some projects not under contract being delayed. In addition, to the extent such tariffs have a positive impact on pricing, if such tariffs are relaxed or repealed, become subject to legal challenges or expire, or if other countries are exempted, or if relatively higher U.S. steel prices make it attractive for foreign steelmakers to export their steel products to the U.S. despite the presence of import tariffs, quotas or duties, a resurgence of substantial imports of foreign steel could occur, putting downward pressure on U.S. steel prices.
    Read more
  • Excess capacity and over-production by foreign producers in the steel industry as well as the startup of new steelmaking capacity in the U.S. could result in lower domestic steel prices, which would adversely affect our sales, margins, profitability, cash flows and liquidity.

    Could happen
    The adverse effects of excess capacity and overproduction by foreign producers could be exacerbated by the startup of new steelmaking capacity in the U.S. Certain of our competitors have announced and are moving ahead with plans to develop new steelmaking capacity in the near term. There are a number of ongoing EAF projects in the U.S., with additional capacity expected to come online at various times over the next one to three years. The addition of new mill production and decreased domestic demand could lead to domestic overcapacity, which could lead to a decrease in steel prices. Any of these adverse effects could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Pending and future trade actions may mitigate some of this risk.
    Read more

Read it in the annual report

The deep dive

Everything above is arithmetic on public filings. The deep dive reads the last ten years of annual reports, the proxy statements, and the earnings calls, then argues the case the way Buffett, Klarman, and Hohn would, and checks every claim against the source.

  • What the business is worth, as a range, and the margin of safety at today’s price
  • Prices to start buying, buy, and buy hard
  • The three things that would make this a mistake
  • Every number footnoted to the filing it came from
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What a finished deep dive looks like

Not advice. Numbers on this page come from SEC filings and are updated each night; prices are updated again after the US market closes. The five-year figures are rounded.