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Kaiser AluminumKALU -4.80%70 Gross Margin % is 15.84% as of Jun. 2026, which is 2% above its 10-year median of 15.55. GuruFocus rates KALU with a GF Score™ of 70/100 and a GF Value™ of $103.20 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 732 Metals & Mining companies, Kaiser Aluminum ranks worse than 69.13% on this metric.
Kaiser Aluminum (NAS:KALU) 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
Kaiser Aluminum had a gross margin of 15.84% for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 => No sustainable 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.
Kaiser Aluminum Gross Margin % Related Terms
Kaiser Aluminum Gross Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Kaiser Aluminum's Gross Margin % 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 Aluminum subindustry, Kaiser Aluminum'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.
Kaiser Aluminum Gross Margin % vs Metals & Mining Industry
For the Metals & Mining industry and Basic Materials sector, Kaiser Aluminum's Gross Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kaiser Aluminum'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.
Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) has a Gross Margin % of 15.84% as of Jun. 2026. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on Kaiser Aluminum and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 15.55. Over the past decade, Kaiser Aluminum's Gross Margin % has ranged from 7.23 to 24.42. According to the industry distribution chart, Kaiser Aluminum ranks #506 out of 732 companies in the Metals & Mining industry, placing it in the top 69.1%.
Is Kaiser Aluminum's Gross Margin % too high?
Kaiser Aluminum's current Gross Margin % of 15.84% is near median its 10-year median of 15.55. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 7.23 to a high of 24.42. The Metals & Mining industry median Gross Margin % is 26.69. Kaiser Aluminum's value of 15.84% is 40.7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kaiser Aluminum ranks #506 out of 732 companies in the Metals & Mining industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Kaiser Aluminum has a GF Score™ of 70/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kaiser Aluminum's Gross Margin % compare to CSTM and CENX?
According to the Metals & Mining industry distribution chart, Kaiser Aluminum ranks #506 out of 732 companies for Gross Margin %. This places Kaiser Aluminum in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Gross Margin % is 26.69. Kaiser Aluminum's value of 15.84% is 40.7% below this benchmark. Historically, Kaiser Aluminum's own Gross Margin % has ranged from 7.23 to 24.42 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 15.55 vs. the industry median of 26.69, Kaiser Aluminum has consistently been below 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 Metals & Mining company?
The median Gross Margin % among Metals & Mining companies is 26.69, based on 732 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. Kaiser Aluminum's current Gross Margin % of 15.84% is 40.7% below 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 Kaiser Aluminum and its competitors. For the Metals & Mining industry, the median Gross Margin % is 26.69 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kaiser Aluminum's current Gross Margin % is 15.84%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 15.55. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kaiser Aluminum stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $103.20, compared to a current price of $149.45 — trading 44.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Gross Margin % is 15.84%, which is near median its 10-year median of 15.55 and 40.7% below the Metals & Mining industry median of 26.69. Kaiser Aluminum's overall GF Score™ is 70/100 with 2 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 Kaiser Aluminum (KALU), the current Gross Margin % is 15.84% as of Jun. 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 Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kaiser Aluminum stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $149.45 is trading 44.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $103.20.
GuruFocus considers Kaiser Aluminum to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for KALU:
Gross Margin %: 15.84% (near median its 10-year median of 15.55)
GF Value™: $103.20 vs. price of $149.45 (44.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 40.7% below the Metals & Mining median (#506 of 732)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KALU stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kaiser Aluminum Corp specializes in the production of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum mill products, such as aluminum plate and sheet, bare and coated coil and extruded and drawn products, for the end market applications: Aero/HS Products; Packaging; GE Products; and Automotive Extrusions. Its products include fabricated aluminum mill products such as flat-rolled (plate, sheet, and coil), extruded (rod, bar, hollows, and shapes), drawn (rod, bar, pipe, tube and wire) and certain cast aluminum products. Geographically, the company generates majority of its revenue from the United States.
70GF Score
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