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Friedman IndustriesFRD -1.06%70 Debt-to-Equity is 0.66 as of Mar. 2026, which is 120% above its 10-year median of 0.30. GuruFocus rates FRD with a GF Score™ of 70/100 and a GF Value™ of $22.36 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 548 Steel companies, Friedman Industries ranks worse than 65.88% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Friedman Industries's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
FRD'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0 Med: 0.3 Max: 0.66
Current: 0.66
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Friedman Industries was 0.66. The lowest was 0.00. And the median was 0.30.
FRD's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 65.88% of 548
companies
in the Steel industry
Industry Median: 0.405
vs FRD: 0.66
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Friedman Industries Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Friedman Industries Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Friedman Industries's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Steel subindustry, Friedman Industries's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Friedman Industries Debt-to-Equity vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Friedman Industries's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Friedman Industries's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Friedman Industries (FRD) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.66 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Friedman Industries and its competitors. This is 120% above median its historical median of 0.30. According to the industry distribution chart, Friedman Industries ranks #361 out of 548 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 65.9%.
Is Friedman Industries' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Friedman Industries' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.66 is 120% above median its 10-year median of 0.30. The Steel industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41. Friedman Industries' value of 0.66 is 63% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Friedman Industries ranks #361 out of 548 companies in the Steel industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Friedman Industries has a GF Score™ of 70/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Friedman Industries' Debt-to-Equity compare to MSB and INHD?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Friedman Industries ranks #361 out of 548 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Friedman Industries in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41. Friedman Industries' value of 0.66 is 63% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.30 vs. the industry median of 0.41, Friedman Industries has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Steel company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Steel companies is 0.41, based on 548 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Friedman Industries's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.66 is 63% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Friedman Industries and its competitors. For the Steel industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Friedman Industries's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.66, which is 120% above median its own 10-year median of 0.30. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Friedman Industries stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Friedman Industries (FRD) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $22.36, compared to a current price of $33.72 — trading 50.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.66, which is 120% above median its 10-year median of 0.30 and 63% above the Steel industry median of 0.41. Friedman Industries' overall GF Score™ is 70/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Friedman Industries (FRD), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.66 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Friedman Industries (FRD) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Friedman Industries stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $33.72 is trading 50.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $22.36.
GuruFocus considers Friedman Industries to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for FRD:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.66 (120% above median its 10-year median of 0.30)
GF Value™: $22.36 vs. price of $33.72 (50.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 63% above the Steel median (#361 of 548)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRD stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Friedman Industries Inc is a manufacturer and processor of metals and operates in two reportable segments: flat-roll products and tubular products. The flat-roll product segment consists of flat-roll processing facilities located in Hickman, Arkansas; Decatur, Alabama; Miami, Florida; East Chicago, Indiana; Granite City, Illinois and Sinton, Texas and a flat-roll distribution facility located in Orlando, Florida. The tubular product segment consists of the Company's Texas Tubular Products division (TTP) located in Lone Star, Texas. TTP operates two electric resistance welded pipe mills with a combined outside diameter (OD). Its products are flat-roll products and tubular products.
70GF Score
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