Ascent Industries AI Stock Analysis
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Ascent Industries (ACNT) AI Stock Analysis
Ascent Industries
(NASDAQ:ACNT)
Ascent Industries presents a high-risk, high-reward turnaround profile. The stock's score is primarily constrained by substantial cash burn, unprofitability, and weak technical momentum. However, aggressive debt reduction, strong recent top-line growth, margin expansion, and active share repurchases highlight significant underlying operational progress. For the stock to see a sustained re-rating, management must successfully navigate expected Q4 margin pressures and translate revenue growth into consistent, positive free cash flow.
Ascent Industries (ACNT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- Market Cap
- $120.80M
- Dividend Yield
- ―
- Average Volume (3M)
- 32.17K
- Price to Earnings (P/E)
- -144.7
- Beta (1Y)
- 0.20
- Revenue Growth
- -12.31%
- EPS Growth
- -194.83%
- Country
- US
- Employees
- 198
- Sector
- Basic Materials
- Sector Strength
- 61
- Industry
- Chemicals - Specialty
Ascent Industries Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Ascent Industries Co. engages in the development, production, and distribution of specialty chemical solutions. It offers surfactants, defoamers, lubricating agents, flame retardants, and specialty intermediates in petroleum-based and bio-based formu...
How the Company Makes Money
Ascent Industries makes money primarily by selling specialty chemical products—most notably surfactants and related chemical formulations—to customers that use these inputs in their own manufacturing or operational processes. Revenue is generated fro...
Ascent Industries Earnings Call Summary
The call was strongly constructive, with broad-based revenue and EBITDA growth, improved margins and operating efficiency, a larger sales pipeline, progress from the Midwest acquisition, and a positive third-quarter operating cash flow inflection. Management also emphasized that seasonality, higher material costs, fourth-quarter margin compression, a long sales cycle, and the need for more consistent cash conversion remain unresolved challenges.
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
Company Guidance
Management said Q4 revenue should be “better than Q4 of 25,” while “margins will be compressed without question” and earnings should see “a little compression in earnings in Q4 compared to Q3,” although “it will be less pronounced than it was last year”; the business is expected to have a Q2 ramp that “peaks in Q3” with “some of the product mix” and “always” have “that kind of Q4” until it is built differently. Earlier guidance included $3 million to $5 million of annualized gross profit improvement at run rate by year end, measured against the first quarter 26 baseline, and a run-rate SG and A level “around 15% of revenue” as the revenue base grows, with management saying that “when we are at that kinda 21 to 31 mark,” it “should be in that 15% range.” Each 5-day improvement in the cash conversion cycle could release approximately $1 million to $1.5 million of cash, and the escrow release was expected to bring cash into the low to mid-30 million dollars range and total liquidity into the low to mid-$50 million range.
Ascent Industries Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Ascent Industries exhibits mixed financial health. A robust balance sheet with aggressive deleveraging has reduced the debt-to-equity ratio to an exceptionally conservative 0.15. However, this is heavily offset by negative trailing net margins and deteriorating cash flows, highlighted by a trailing-twelve-month free cash flow of -$7.9 million.
Income Statement
35NegativeBalance Sheet
75PositiveCash Flow
20Very Negative| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2023 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 90.98M | 74.94M | 177.87M | 193.18M | 261.99M | 334.71M |
| Gross Profit | 18.75M | 16.95M | 22.11M | 1.53M | 43.29M | 60.77M |
| EBITDA | 1.82M | -1.38M | 2.78M | -29.17M | 23.03M | 37.33M |
| Net Income | -915.00K | -5.58M | -13.60M | -26.63M | 22.07M | 20.25M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 107.87M | 111.94M | 147.25M | 163.29M | 269.04M | 266.00M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 28.71M | 57.61M | 16.11M | 1.85M | 1.44M | 2.02M |
| Total Debt | 12.57M | 13.78M | 33.27M | 32.83M | 102.88M | 102.74M |
| Total Liabilities | 38.19M | 24.95M | 53.70M | 55.88M | 134.78M | 154.41M |
| Stockholders Equity | 81.32M | 86.99M | 93.55M | 107.41M | 134.26M | 111.59M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -7.91M | -2.06M | 12.79M | 20.19M | 2.18M | 17.56M |
| Operating Cash Flow | -5.19M | -519.00K | 14.68M | 23.08M | 5.58M | 19.05M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -16.32M | 50.98M | 905.00K | 50.50M | -4.97M | -32.66M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -6.77M | -8.96M | -1.33M | -73.17M | -1.18M | 15.39M |
Ascent Industries Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ACNT, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 13.02 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 13.67, below the 50-day MA of 14.10, and below the 200-day MA of 14.55, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.14 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 36.91 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 7.25 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for ACNT.
Ascent Industries Risk Analysis
Ascent Industries disclosed 26 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Ascent Industries reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Latest Risks Added
3 New RisksAscent Industries Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
HLP65Neutral
FRD61Neutral
MSB58Neutral- ACNT54Neutral
HUDI38Underperform
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HLP | 65Neutral | $331.09M | 155.47 | 3.43% | ― | 38.96% | ― |
| Sector * | 61Neutral | $10.43B | 7.12 | -0.05% | 2.87% | 2.86% | -36.73% |
| FRD | 61Neutral | $274.96M | 6.54 | 25.30% | 0.42% | 73.68% | 248.86% |
| MSB | 58Neutral | $225.14M | 32.74 | 33.51% | 5.48% | -87.62% | -93.01% |
| ACNT | 54Neutral | $120.80M | -144.67 | -1.11% | ― | -12.31% | -194.83% |
| HUDI | 38Underperform | $7.58M | -2.66 | -3.47% | ― | -12.79% | -406.58% |
* Basic Materials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACNT | Ascent Industries Co. | 13.02 | -0.99 | -7.07% | |
| FRD | Friedman Industries, Incorporated | 37.68 | 17.32 | 85.03% | |
| MSB | Mesabi Trust Shs | 16.23 | -17.42 | -51.77% | |
| HUDI | Huadi International Group Co., Ltd. | 0.50 | -0.68 | -57.88% | |
| HLP | Hongli Group, Inc. | 4.12 | 2.56 | 164.10% |
Ascent Industries Corporate Events
Ascent Industries Highlights Strategic Transformation and Growth Momentum
PositiveOn August 26, 2026, Ascent Industries presented to investors at the Midwest IDEAS Conference, highlighting its use of non-GAAP financial measures such as Adjusted EBITDA, with reconciliations provided to GAAP to support better assessment of operating...
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.
Date of analysis: Nov 05, 2026