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International Housewares Retail Co (OTCPK:IHSWF) Gross Margin % Explanation
Warren Buffett believes that firms with excellent long term economics tend to have consistently higher margins.
Durable competitive advantage creates a high Gross Margin % because of the freedom to price in excess of cost. Companies can be categorized by their Gross Margin %
1. Greater than 40% = Durable competitive advantage
2. Less than 40% = Competition eroding margins
3. Less than 20% = no sustainable competitive advantage
Consistency of Gross Margin is key
International Housewares Retail Co had a gross margin of 45.56% for the quarter that ended in Oct. 2025 => Durable competitive advantage
Be Aware
If a company loses its competitive advantages, usually its gross margin declines well before its sales declines. Watching Gross Margin % and Operating Margin % closely helps avoid value trap situations.
International Housewares Retail Co Gross Margin % Related Terms
International Housewares Retail Co Gross Margin % Historical Data
* 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.
International Housewares Retail Co Gross Margin % Chart
IHSWF vs CASY, WSM, ULTA: Gross Margin % Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Gross Margin % 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.
International Housewares Retail Co Gross Margin % vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin % 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.
A positive Gross Profit is only the first step for a company to make a net profit. The gross profit needs to be big enough to also cover related labor, equipment, rental, marketing/advertising, research and development and a lot of other costs in selling the products.
International Housewares Retail Co (IHSWF) has a Gross Margin % of 45.56% as of Oct. 2025. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on International Housewares Retail Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 46.44. Over the past decade, International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin % has ranged from 45.18 to 46.94. According to the industry distribution chart, International Housewares Retail Co ranks #368 out of 1119 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 32.9%.
Is International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin % too high?
International Housewares Retail Co's current Gross Margin % of 45.56% is near median its 10-year median of 46.44. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 45.18 to a high of 46.94. The Retail - Cyclical industry median Gross Margin % is 36.29. International Housewares Retail Co's value of 45.56% is 25.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, International Housewares Retail Co ranks #368 out of 1119 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, International Housewares Retail Co has a GF Scoreâ„¢ of 74/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Housewares Retail Co's Gross Margin % compare to CASY and WSM?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, International Housewares Retail Co ranks #368 out of 1119 companies for Gross Margin %. This puts International Housewares Retail Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Gross Margin % is 36.29. International Housewares Retail Co's value of 45.56% is 25.5% above this benchmark. Historically, International Housewares Retail Co's own Gross Margin % has ranged from 45.18 to 46.94 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 46.44 vs. the industry median of 36.29, International Housewares Retail Co 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 Gross Margin % for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median Gross Margin % among Retail - Cyclical companies is 36.29, based on 1,119 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Gross Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Gross Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. International Housewares Retail Co's current Gross Margin % of 45.56% is 25.5% 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 Gross Margin % mean?
A high Gross Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on International Housewares Retail Co and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median Gross Margin % is 36.29 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. International Housewares Retail Co's current Gross Margin % is 45.56%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 46.44. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is International Housewares Retail Co stock overvalued right now?
International Housewares Retail Co (IHSWF) has a current Gross Margin % of 45.56%. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.21, compared to a current price of $0.13 — trading 37.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Gross Margin % is 45.56%, which is near median its 10-year median of 46.44 and 25.5% above the Retail - Cyclical industry median of 36.29. International Housewares Retail Co's overall GF Score™ is 74/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Gross Margin % calculated?
Gross Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Housewares Retail Co (IHSWF), the current Gross Margin % is 45.56% as of Oct. 2025. 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 International Housewares Retail Co (IHSWF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Housewares Retail Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $0.13 is trading 37.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of $0.21.
Key valuation signals for IHSWF:
Gross Margin %: 45.56% (near median its 10-year median of 46.44)
GF Value™: $0.21 vs. price of $0.13 (37.4% below fair value)
Industry Position: 25.5% above the Retail - Cyclical median (#368 of 1119)
No single metric tells the full story. See the IHSWF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
International Housewares Retail Co Ltd and its subsidiaries are houseware retail chains in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau. The group offers houseware products through a retail network comprising stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Cambodia, East Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Australia under brands including Japan Home Centre, City Life, Epo gifts and stationery, 123 by ELLA, and Japan Home. The group has reportable operating segments namely Retail, Wholesales, Licensing and others. Hong Kong is the key market of the group, accounting for majorly of its total revenue. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Retail segment.
74GF Score
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