Xpel
XPEL on Nasdaq. Xpel sells protective films and coatings to car dealers, owners and automakers. Market value $1.2bn.
Price checks use the past 12 months to June 2026. Quality checks use five annual reports, the latest for the year to December 2025.
We can't read total debt from the filing, so debt is left out.
Should I look at this?
Good business, but not cheap right now
Why it could be worth it
What to watch out for
See cheaper Industrials stocks on the list
This is not advice. Check the numbers below.
For every $100 of what the whole company costs, it produced $-0.23 of spare cash in the past 12 months. A savings account pays about $4.
You pay 18.2 years of operating profit for the business. The average large US company costs around 18.
The filings do not give us enough to work this out.
Quality score: 80 of 100. Price score: 46 of 100. Our list needs 70 on quality and 60 on price.
$45.15 a share, 42% above its 1-year low
Over the past year the price has ranged from $31.88 to $55.91.
Pays no dividend
Prices from Tuesday’s close (6 October).
Five years of cash, in billions
Spare cash swings from quarter to quarter here: a shortfall of $3 million in the past 12 months, $63 million in the year to December 2025.
| Revenue | |||||
| Revenue | $259m | $324m | $396m | $420m | $476m |
| Operating margin | |||||
| Operating margin | 15.5% | 16.6% | 16.9% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| Debt to equity | |||||
| Debt to equity | 0.01 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Shares outstanding | |||||
| Shares outstanding | 0.03bn | 0.03bn | 0.03bn | 0.03bn | 0.03bn |
Health checks
- Free cash flow positive5 of 5 years
- Accounting looks honest (Beneish)Not enough data
- Financial strength (Piotroski)6 of 8 checks we could run
- Profit backed by cash (accruals)Yes
- DebtUnknown
- Revenue growth, five yearsStrong, 24.5% a year
- Buying back its own sharesRoughly flat
The quarter to June 2026
How the business did, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Sales: $143 million last quarter, up 15% on a year ago.
- Profit: $18 million, up 11% on a year ago.
- It keeps 13 cents of each $1 of sales as operating profit, down from 14 cents a year earlier.
- Over the past 12 months it spent $3 million more cash than it brought in. A year earlier it had $52 million spare.
- About the same number of shares as a year ago.
- Sales grew on a year ago in each of the last 4 quarters.
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $113m |
| December 2024 | $108m |
| March 2025 | $104m |
| June 2025 | $125m |
| September 2025 | $125m |
| December 2025 | $122m |
| March 2026 | $117m |
| June 2026 | $143m |
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $15m |
| December 2024 | $9m |
| March 2025 | $9m |
| June 2025 | $16m |
| September 2025 | $13m |
| December 2025 | $13m |
| March 2026 | $10m |
| June 2026 | $18m |
From the company's quarterly reports to the SEC.
Dates
- Next results (estimated)
- n/a
- Last annual report (10-K)
- 27 February 2026
- Next quarterly (estimated, 10-Q)
- 6 November 2026
Who owns it
2 long-term investors we follow own it, unchanged from 2 last quarter. 210 funds in all.
| Fund | Value | Share of that fund | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mawer Investment ManagementMawer team | $15m | 0.1% | New |
| GMOJeremy Grantham | $12m | <0.1% | Added |
Sold out this quarter
- Royce & AssociatesChuck RoyceSold out
Largest holders overall
- BlackRock$190mAdded
- Wasatch Advisors LP$181mCut
- Alta Fox Capital Management$99mAdded
- SCS Capital Management$62m
- Vanguard Capital Management$52m
- State Street$48mAdded
- Schwartz Investment Counsel$41m
- Westwood Holdings Group$40m
- Geode Capital Management$33mAdded
- Vanguard Portfolio Management$27mAdded
From 13F filings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.
Big holders and activists
2 investors own more than 5%.
- Wasatch Advisors LPPassive investor13.8%+2.0 ptsSince 31 December 2025
- ALTA FOX CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLCPassive investorat least 7.0%+1.8 pts(filed with 4 related holders)Since 20 November 2025
- The Vanguard GroupPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 13 March 2026
| Holder | Stake | Since | |
|---|---|---|---|
Wasatch Advisors LP Passive investor | 13.8%+2.0 pts | 31 December 2025 | |
ALTA FOX CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC Passive investor | at least 7.0%+1.8 pts (filed with 4 related holders) | 20 November 2025 | |
The Vanguard Group Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 13 March 2026 |
From Schedule 13D and 13G filings: anyone owning more than 5% must file one.
What insiders did
No insider bought or sold on the open market in the last 12 months.
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 27 Feb 2026, plus the 10-Q filed 7 Aug 2026 and 6 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.
Risks Related to Our Majority but Not Wholly-Owned Subsidiary in China.
Could happenA number of laws and regulations of mainland China have established procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time consuming and complex. In addition to the Anti-Monopoly Law itself, these include the M&A Rules, the Rules of the Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the Security Review Rules, promulgated in 2011, and the Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investment promulgated by NDRC and the Ministry of Commerce in December 2020 which came into force on January 18, 2021. These laws and regulations impose requirements in some instances that the Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. In addition, pursuant to anti-monopoly laws and regulations, the State Administration for Market Regulation should be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered, and the State Administration for Market Regulation clearance is required to be obtained before completion of such transactions. In light of the uncertainties relating to the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of the PRC anti-monopoly laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency will not deem our future acquisitions or investments to have triggered filing requirement for anti-monopoly review. Moreover, the Security Review Rules specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by NDRC and the Ministry of Commerce, and prohibit any attempt to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the regulations to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including clearance from the State Administration for Market Regulation and approval from the Ministry of Commerce or other PRC government authorities, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
Read moreWe are subject to occupational health and safety laws and regulations in China.
Could happenWe are subject to occupational health and safety laws and regulations in China, including requirements to identify and control workplace hazards, implement safety management systems, provide protective equipment, conduct training and occupational health examinations, and report and remediate incidents. Compliance expectations and enforcement can vary by locality and may change with limited notice, and authorities conduct inspections and targeted enforcement campaigns that can lead to corrective orders. Failure to provide a safe working environment or to comply with applicable standards may result in administrative penalties, orders to suspend or restrict operations, mandatory remediation, and, in the event of serious accidents or injuries, potential civil liabilities and criminal sanctions for responsible personnel. Even when we comply, accidents or occupational disease claims may occur in our facilities or at third-party sites that perform manufacturing, warehousing, or field services on our behalf, which can lead to production or service disruptions, increased insurance and remediation costs, and reputational harm. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Read moreFluctuation in the value of RMB may result in foreign currency exchange losses.
Could happenSubstantially all of our revenues and costs in China are denominated in RMB. As a holding company, we may rely on dividends and other fees paid to us by our subsidiaries in China. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may materially affect our cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our Common Stock in U.S. dollars. For example, an appreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar would make any new RMB-denominated investments or expenditures more costly to us, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB for such purposes. Conversely, a significant depreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our Common Stock. If we decide to convert RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends and share repurchases of our Common Stock, strategic acquisitions or investments or other business purposes, the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against RMB would have a negative effect on U.S. dollar amounts available to us.
Read moreRisks Related to Our Majority but Not Wholly-Owned Subsidiary in China.
Could happen• Increased Risk of Disputes and Litigation Disagreements with minority shareholders regarding management, strategy, or profit allocation could lead to disputes or litigation. The PRC legal system is different from that of the United States and may not provide the same level of protection or predictability for foreign investors. Enforcement of our rights may be costly, time-consuming, and uncertain.
Read moreWe may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.
Could happenChina adopted a labor contract law, or the Labor Contract Law, which went into effect on January 1, 2008 and was amended in 2012. The Labor Contract Law imposes more stringent requirements on employers with regard to, among other things, minimum wages, and severance payments upon permitted termination of the employment by an employer and non-fixed term employment contracts, time limits for probation periods as well as the duration and the times that an employee can be placed on a fixed term employment contract. According to the Labor Contract Law, an employer is obliged to sign an unlimited-term labor contract with any employee who has worked for the employer for ten consecutive years. Further, if an employee requests or agrees to renew a fixed-term labor contract that has already been entered into twice consecutively, the resulting contract is deemed to have an unlimited term, with certain exceptions. The employer must also pay severance to an employee in nearly all instances where a labor contract, including a contract with an unlimited term, is terminated or expires. In addition, the PRC government has continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations since the implementation of the Labor Contract Law. Among other things, new annual leave requirements mandate that annual leave ranging from five to 15 days be made available to nearly all employees and further require that each employer compensates an employee for any annual leave days the employee is unable to take in the amount of three times his daily salary, subject to certain exceptions.
Read more
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
Your first deep dive is free.
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.