Acme United Corporation (ACU) Market Cap
Acme United Corporation has a market capitalization of $175.3M.
Financials based on reported quarter end 2025-12-31
Price: $46.03
▲ 0.00 (0.00%)
Market Cap: 175.29M
AMEX · time unavailable
CEO: Walter C. Johnsen
Sector: Consumer Defensive
Industry: Household & Personal Products
IPO Date: 1980-03-17
Website: https://www.acmeunited.com
Acme United Corporation (ACU) - Company Information
Market Cap: 175.29M · Sector: Consumer Defensive
Acme United Corporation supplies first aid and safety, cutting, sharpening, and measuring products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. 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 fixed blades, folding knives, sight cutting tools, and tactical tools under the Camillus brand; fishing tools and knives, as well as cut and puncture resistant gloves, telescopic landing nets, net containment systems, and tools and fishing gaffs under the Cuda brand; and sharpening tools under the DMT brand. In addition, the company offers first aid kit 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; and alcohol prep pads, alcohol wipes, benzalkonium chloride wipes, various antiseptic wipes, castile soaps, and lens cleaning wipes under the Med-Nap brand. It sells its products directly and through its independent manufacturer representatives to wholesale, contract, and retail stationery distributors; office supply super stores; school supply distributors; industrial distributors; wholesale florists; mass market and e-commerce retailers; and hardware chains, as well as sells a selection of products 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.
Analyst Sentiment
Based on 1 ratings
Consensus Price Target
No data available
Price & Moving Averages
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Fundamentals Overview
📊 AI Financial Analysis
Powered by StockMarketInfo"For the fiscal year ending 2025, ACU reported a revenue of $47.52M and a net income of $1.88M, translating to an EPS of $0.49. The company's total assets stand at $170.998k with total liabilities of $53.39k, reflecting a solid equity position of $117.61k. While ACU has yet to generate positive cash flow from operations, it has consistently paid dividends of $0.16 per share in the past four quarters. The stock has seen a price appreciation of 10.94% over the last year, which, though positive, is below the 20% threshold typically indicative of stronger shareholder returns. Overall, while the company is generating reasonable revenue, its cash flow remains a concern, and the relatively modest price appreciation will influence our scoring."
Revenue Growth
Revenue at $47.52M indicates growth but lacks acceleration.
Profitability
Net income of $1.88M suggests basic profitability, though margins are slim.
Cash Flow Quality
Negative operating cash flow is concerning, indicating potential liquidity issues.
Leverage & Balance Sheet
Overall balance sheet shows adequate equity to liabilities, with manageable debt.
Shareholder Returns
Dividends are present, but total return is below optimal thresholds due to low price appreciation.
Analyst Sentiment & Valuation
Mixed sentiment; no clear valuation metrics available due to lack of market cap.
Disclaimer:This analysis is AI-generated for informational purposes only. Accuracy is not guaranteed and this does not constitute financial advice.
Management delivered record 2025 sales/earnings, but the Q&A surfaces execution specifics: My Medic (revenues ~$19M; EBITDA ~$1M–$1.5M) was bought for ~$18.6M with a ~$1M earn-out and ~$3M holdback, implying net out-of-pocket roughly $4M less—underscoring both upside and contingent-liability risk. Integration is planned “all part of the first aid offering,” with selected retail distribution (the exact list “still being developed”) rather than broad retail, limiting immediate scale but reducing channel conflict. Operationally, tariff uncertainty already caused customer order cancellations in school/office; gross margin in Q4 slipped 50 bps YoY to 38.2%, showing not all tariff and cost actions flowed through cleanly. The tone is confident (“carefully” integrating; growth in first aid/medical), but analyst pressure focused on valuation multiple, cash structure, and retail channel strategy—areas where management provided figures yet avoided detailed forward guidance.
Growth Catalysts
- Patented automatic replenishment system for first aid kit refills (sensors components and generates replenishment orders); customers save 30% to 50% vs traditional van-based delivery
- Westcott cutting tools market share expansion, especially craft market; differentiated nonstick technology for tapes/glues/sticky substances
- Ceramic cutting tool line expansion for safely cutting/opening boxes; increased sales of industrial cutting tools
- Robotics investments in 3 US sites to assemble first aid refills (recurring business savings and improved product quality)
- Warehouse optimization in Rocky Mount, NC using new software and nightly drone inventory reconciliation
- New domestic facility in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee (~78,000 sq ft on 12 acres) to expand Spill Magic cleanup products and blood-borne pathogen kits; moving in Q1 2026 and adding automated processing equipment
- Med-Nap (Brooksville, FL) expansion and buildout of microbiology lab/quality systems to serve broader US medical market; preparing documentation/controls
- Acquisition of My Medic (Jan 2026) to expand direct-to-consumer first aid/bleed control; expected to support expansion into selected retail
- Canada first aid share gains in industrial/retail; e-commerce expansion
- Hawktree Solutions (acquired from bankruptcy late 2023) sales exceeded expectations
Business Development
- My Medic acquisition (Jan 2026): direct-to-consumer advanced first aid and bleed control supplier with 500,000+ social media followers; revenues ~$19M in 2025
- L.A. police department personalization example via Safety Made (personalizes medical products/first aid kits); demonstrates direct-to-retail/DSF complementarity
- Acquired cutting and sharpening tools in Germany (Oct 1, 2025): annual sales ~$2M; purchase price $1.6M (reported as incremental driver of Europe results)
- Direct-to-consumer supplier of cutting/sharpening tools acquired in Europe in Oct 2025 (separate from Germany transaction described as cutting/sharpening line acquisition)
Financial Highlights
- Q4 net sales: $47.5M vs $45.9M prior year (+3%)
- FY net sales: $196.5M vs $194.5M (+1%)
- Q4 EPS (diluted): $0.46 vs $0.41 (+12%); Q4 net income $1.9M vs $1.7M (+10%)
- FY EPS (diluted): $2.49 vs $2.45 (+2%); FY net income $10.2M vs $10.0M (+2%)
- Gross margin: 38.2% in Q4 2025 vs 38.7% in Q4 2024 (-50 bps); FY gross margin 39.4% vs 39.3% (+10 bps)
- SG&A: $15.2M or 32% of sales in Q4 2025 vs $15.5M or 34% in Q4 2024 (mix/efficiency improvement)
- Operating profit: +27% vs Q4 2024
- Interest expense declined: FY interest expense $1.6M vs $1.9M (decline attributed to lower debt and lower interest rates)
- Cash/debt: bank debt less cash $18.5M at 12/31/2025 vs $21.5M at 12/31/2024
- Tariff uncertainty impact: school and office product sales lower due to cancellation/delayed customer orders as a result of tariff uncertainty (specific segment-level headwind)
- April 2025 tariff reduction: Chinese tariffs reduced from 145% to 30% in late April 2025; management responded by shipping 50+ containers within days
Capital Funding
- Dividends paid during 12 months of 2025: $2.3M
- Free cash flow: $13.0M in 2025 before the $6.0M purchase of the Tennessee facility
- Acquisition cash/consideration (My Medic): purchase price ~$18.6M; net out-of-pocket ~$4M less than purchase price due to $1M earn-out and ~$3M holdback
- No explicit buyback authorization/amount disclosed in transcript
Strategy & Ops
- Inventory and fulfillment automation: software optimization for Rocky Mount warehouse and drone-assisted nightly inventory reconciliation
- Production footprint and supply-chain shifts: opened/new factories in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia in response to tariff changes; increased production in India and Egypt
- Cost actions: negotiated cost reductions with suppliers, obtained lower freight rates, generated productivity savings in domestic plants, modest price increases
- Domestic expansion: installing automated processing equipment for new spill/first aid facility entering Q1 2026
- Quality/medical market buildout: building a microbiology lab, expanding quality assurance team, and preparing documentation/controls for domestic medical-grade supply
- Acquisition integration approach: integrate My Medic into the first aid offering; careful integration emphasizing direct-to-consumer scale while differentiating products for selected retail rather than broad retail
Market Outlook
- Guidance stated at high level: management looks forward to delivering good results in Q1 and the rest of the year (no numeric guidance provided in transcript)
- Operational timing: move into Tennessee facility in Q1 2026
Risks & Headwinds
- Tariffs/macro uncertainty: customers delayed/canceled retail promotions and opted to keep no stock rather than import items for losses when high global tariffs were announced (April 2025); school/office products saw demand pullback due to tariff uncertainty
- Supply chain disruptions (explicitly referenced in safe harbor): risk that supply chain disruptions may persist
- Gross margin pressure in Q4: gross margin -50 bps YoY to 38.2%
- Integration/contingent liabilities risk on acquisitions: ~$3M holdback for potential contingent liabilities on My Medic purchase
Sentiment: MIXED
Note: This summary was synthesized by AI from the ACU Q4 2025 earnings transcript. Financial data is complex; please verify all metrics against official SEC filings before making investment decisions.