Tearsheet

Insteel Industries (IIIN)


Market Price (12/4/2025): $31.4 | Market Cap: $611.7 Mil
Sector: Industrials | Industry: Building Products

Insteel Industries (IIIN)


Market Price (12/4/2025): $31.4
Market Cap: $611.7 Mil
Sector: Industrials
Industry: Building Products

Investment Highlights Why It Matters Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?

1. Generates cash flow

The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.

2. Riding a trend

Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow


0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 8.2%, Dividend Yield is 2.8%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 4.1%
Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -42%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -36%
Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg 3Y AvgRevenue Change % averaged over trailing 3 years is -5.9%
1 Strong revenue growth
Rev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 22%
  
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 40%
  
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Water Infrastructure, Sustainable Resource Management, and E-commerce Logistics & Data Centers. Themes include Water Treatment & Delivery, Show more.
  
0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 8.2%, Dividend Yield is 2.8%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 4.1%
1 Strong revenue growth
Rev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 22%
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 40%
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Water Infrastructure, Sustainable Resource Management, and E-commerce Logistics & Data Centers. Themes include Water Treatment & Delivery, Show more.
4 Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -42%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -36%
5 Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg 3Y AvgRevenue Change % averaged over trailing 3 years is -5.9%

Valuation, Metrics & Events

IIIN Stock


Why The Stock Moved


Qualitative Assessment

AI Generated Analysis | Feedback

Here are the key points explaining Insteel Industries (IIIN) stock movement from approximately August 31, 2025, to December 4, 2025: 1. Insteel Industries missed Q4 2025 earnings per share (EPS) and revenue forecasts. The company reported an EPS of $0.74, falling short of the projected $0.79, and revenue of $177.4 million, missing the expected $180.97 million. This announcement on October 16, 2025, led to a pre-market stock decline of 17% to 19.3%.

2. Several analyst firms downgraded Insteel Industries' stock rating. Following the disappointing Q4 2025 earnings report, research firms such as Wall Street Zen, Zacks, and Weiss downgraded IIIN's rating to "Hold." This shift in analyst sentiment contributed to the negative pressure on the stock.

Show more

Stock Movement Drivers

Return vs. Risk


Price Returns Compared

 202020212022202320242025Total [1]
Returns
IIIN Return11%88%-26%50%-27%17%100%
Peers Return41%55%-11%62%9%13%285%
S&P 500 Return16%27%-19%24%23%16%112%

Monthly Win Rates [3]
IIIN Win Rate58%58%25%58%50%50% 
Peers Win Rate65%63%43%63%55%54% 
S&P 500 Win Rate58%75%42%67%75%70% 

Max Drawdowns [4]
IIIN Max Drawdown-49%0%-37%-4%-30%-12% 
Peers Max Drawdown-37%-3%-37%-8%-12%-14% 
S&P 500 Max Drawdown-31%-1%-25%-1%-2%-15% 


[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: WMS, WTS, UFPI, GFF, TT.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)

How Low Can It Go

Unique KeyEventIIINS&P 500
2022 Inflation Shock2022 Inflation Shock  
2022 Inflation Shock% Loss% Loss-47.4%-25.4%
2022 Inflation Shock% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven90.2%34.1%
2022 Inflation ShockTime to BreakevenTime to BreakevenNot Fully Recovered days464 days
2020 Covid Pandemic2020 Covid Pandemic  
2020 Covid Pandemic% Loss% Loss-58.1%-33.9%
2020 Covid Pandemic% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven138.8%51.3%
2020 Covid PandemicTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven308 days148 days
2018 Correction2018 Correction  
2018 Correction% Loss% Loss-58.8%-19.8%
2018 Correction% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven142.9%24.7%
2018 CorrectionTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven847 days120 days
2008 Global Financial Crisis2008 Global Financial Crisis  
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Loss% Loss-78.9%-56.8%
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven374.2%131.3%
2008 Global Financial CrisisTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven1869 days1480 days

Compare to WMS, WTS, UFPI, GFF, TT


In The Past

Insteel Industries's stock fell -47.4% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 5/4/2022. A -47.4% loss requires a 90.2% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth over time.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

About Insteel Industries (IIIN)

Better Bets than Insteel Industries (IIIN)

Trade Ideas

Select past ideas related to IIIN. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.

Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
CNM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025CNMCore & MainDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
7.3%7.3%-1.6%
VRRM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025VRRMVerra MobilityDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
2.3%2.3%-1.2%
LII_11212025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11212025LIILennox InternationalDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
4.8%4.8%0.0%
ADP_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025ADPAutomatic Data ProcessingMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
1.6%1.6%-1.2%
CW_11212025_Quality_Momentum_RoomToRun_10%11212025CWCurtiss-WrightQualityQ | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and Upside
Buying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run
2.2%2.2%0.0%
Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
CNM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025CNMCore & MainDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
7.3%7.3%-1.6%
VRRM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025VRRMVerra MobilityDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
2.3%2.3%-1.2%
LII_11212025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11212025LIILennox InternationalDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
4.8%4.8%0.0%
ADP_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025ADPAutomatic Data ProcessingMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
1.6%1.6%-1.2%
CW_11212025_Quality_Momentum_RoomToRun_10%11212025CWCurtiss-WrightQualityQ | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and Upside
Buying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run
2.2%2.2%0.0%

Recent Active Movers

Recent Active Movers

More From Trefis

Peer Comparisons for Insteel Industries

Peers to compare with:

Financials

IIINWMSWTSUFPIGFFTTMedian
NameInsteel .Advanced.Watts Wa.UFP Indu.Griffon Trane Te. 
Mkt Price31.42151.93274.9792.7274.57409.07122.33
Mkt Cap0.611.89.25.23.491.17.2
Rev LTM6482,9872,3546,4532,51721,0512,752
Op Inc LTM546674473964433,956445
FCF LTM195293442722942,533319
FCF 3Y Avg574943185413382,431416
CFO LTM277413875443552,936465
CFO 3Y Avg766933527673982,777546

Growth & Margins

IIINWMSWTSUFPIGFFTTMedian
NameInsteel .Advanced.Watts Wa.UFP Indu.Griffon Trane Te. 
Rev Chg LTM22.4%2.5%4.2%-3.9%-3.4%8.6%3.3%
Rev Chg 3Y Avg-5.9%-2.0%6.5%-12.5%-2.4%10.8%-2.2%
Rev Chg Q32.1%8.7%12.5%-5.4%-5.3%5.5%7.1%
QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM7.1%2.3%3.0%-1.4%-1.3%1.5%1.9%
Op Mgn LTM8.4%22.3%19.0%6.1%17.6%18.8%18.2%
Op Mgn 3Y Avg5.8%23.6%17.8%7.8%14.3%17.4%15.9%
QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM1.7%0.1%0.1%-0.3%1.2%0.4%0.3%
CFO/Rev LTM4.2%24.8%16.4%8.4%14.1%13.9%14.0%
CFO/Rev 3Y Avg12.4%23.8%16.0%10.9%15.2%14.4%14.8%
FCF/Rev LTM2.9%17.7%14.6%4.2%11.7%12.0%11.9%
FCF/Rev 3Y Avg9.2%17.0%14.4%7.6%12.8%12.6%12.7%

Valuation

IIINWMSWTSUFPIGFFTTMedian
NameInsteel .Advanced.Watts Wa.UFP Indu.Griffon Trane Te. 
Mkt Cap0.611.89.25.23.491.17.2
P/S1.23.64.00.81.34.52.5
P/EBIT13.915.521.612.115.324.015.4
P/E18.223.528.816.346.932.026.2
P/CFO27.514.624.29.79.232.019.4
Total Yield8.2%4.7%4.2%7.7%3.3%4.0%4.4%
Dividend Yield2.8%0.5%0.7%1.6%1.2%0.9%1.0%
FCF Yield 3Y Avg8.9%4.8%4.5%8.5%12.8%3.4%6.6%
D/E0.00.10.00.10.50.00.1
Net D/E-0.00.1-0.0-0.10.50.00.0

Returns

IIINWMSWTSUFPIGFFTTMedian
NameInsteel .Advanced.Watts Wa.UFP Indu.Griffon Trane Te. 
1M Rtn4.1%10.4%1.4%0.3%-0.4%-8.3%0.8%
3M Rtn-14.1%7.1%-0.1%-5.4%-2.9%0.4%-1.5%
6M Rtn-8.7%34.6%15.3%-3.8%8.0%-5.0%2.1%
12M Rtn9.4%12.9%29.6%-30.0%-9.0%0.1%4.8%
3Y Rtn31.3%61.7%76.1%15.6%127.9%136.2%68.9%
1M Excs Rtn4.1%10.4%1.4%0.3%-0.4%-8.3%0.9%
3M Excs Rtn-21.9%0.2%-6.9%-14.7%-11.5%-6.1%-9.2%
6M Excs Rtn-23.5%19.9%0.5%-18.5%-6.8%-19.7%-12.6%
12M Excs Rtn-3.1%-0.5%14.9%-44.2%-24.2%-14.4%-8.7%
3Y Excs Rtn-35.6%-7.3%12.7%-52.6%61.8%70.5%2.7%

Financials

Price Behavior

Short Interest

Short Interest: As Of Date11142025
Short Interest: Shares Quantity317,577
Short Interest: % Change Since 103120256.4%
Average Daily Volume111,986
Days-to-Cover Short Interest2.84
Basic Shares Quantity19,481,000
Short % of Basic Shares1.6%

SEC Filings

Expand for More

Report DateFiling DateFiling
93020251023202510-K 9/27/2025
6302025717202510-Q 6/28/2025
3312025417202510-Q 3/29/2025
12312024116202510-Q 12/28/2024
93020241024202410-K 9/28/2024
6302024718202410-Q 6/29/2024
3312024425202410-Q 3/30/2024
12312023118202410-Q 12/30/2023
93020231026202310-K 9/30/2023
6302023720202310-Q 7/1/2023
3312023420202310-Q 4/1/2023
12312022119202310-Q 12/31/2022
93020221027202210-K 10/1/2022
6302022721202210-Q 7/2/2022
3312022421202210-Q 4/2/2022
12312021120202210-Q 1/1/2022

Insider Activity

Expand for More

 OwnerTitleFiling DateActionPriceSharesTransacted
Value
Value of
Held Shares
Form
0York James R.Senior Vice President8282025Sell38.503,000115,500363,556Form
1Wagner RichardSenior Vice President and COO8262025Sell38.424,366167,7421,562,157Form
2Wagner RichardSenior Vice President and COO1232025Buy28.57216001,205,054Form