In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full. In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
Worthington Steel's Net-Net Working Capital for the quarter that ended in May. 2026 was $-10.66.
The industry rank for Worthington Steel's Net-Net Working Capital or its related term are showing as below:
WS's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital is not ranked *
in the Steel industry.
Industry Median: 4.3 * Ranked among companies with meaningful Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital only.
Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS) Net-Net Working Capital Explanation
One research study, covering the years 1970 through 1983 showed that portfolios picked at the beginning of each year, and held for one year, returned 29.4 percent, on average, over the 13-year period, compared to 11.5 percent for the S&P 500 Index. Other studies of Graham's strategy produced similar results.
Benjamin Graham looked for companies whose market values were less than two-thirds of their net-net value. They are collected under our Net-Net screener.
Worthington Steel Net-Net Working Capital Related Terms
Worthington Steel Net-Net Working Capital Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Worthington Steel's Net-Net Working Capital 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.
WS vs NWPX, MTUS, MSB: Net-Net Working Capital Comparison
For the Steel subindustry, Worthington Steel's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital 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.
Worthington Steel Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Worthington Steel's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Worthington Steel's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital 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.
In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full.
In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. In "Security Analysis", preferred stock is dubbed "an imperfect creditorship position" that is best placed on the balance sheet alongside funded debt.
This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
What does a Net-Net Working Capital of $-10.66 mean?
Worthington Steel (WS) has a Net-Net Working Capital of $-10.66 as of May. 2026. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Worthington Steel According to the industry distribution chart, Worthington Steel ranks #999999 out of 179 companies in the Steel industry.
Is Worthington Steel's Net-Net Working Capital too high?
Worthington Steel's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-10.66. Based on the distribution chart, Worthington Steel ranks #999999 out of 179 companies in the Steel industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Worthington Steel has a GF Score™ of 54/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Worthington Steel's Net-Net Working Capital compare to NWPX and MTUS?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Worthington Steel ranks #999999 out of 179 companies for Net-Net Working Capital. This places Worthington Steel in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Net-Net Working Capital is 4.30. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Net-Net Working Capital for a Steel company?
The median Net-Net Working Capital among Steel companies is 4.30, based on 179 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Net-Net Working Capital significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Net-Net Working Capital should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Net-Net Working Capital mean?
A high Net-Net Working Capital can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Worthington Steel For the Steel industry, the median Net-Net Working Capital is 4.30 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Worthington Steel's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-10.66. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Worthington Steel stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Worthington Steel (WS) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $33.79, compared to a current price of $33.05 — trading 2.2% below its estimated fair value. The current Net-Net Working Capital is $-10.66. Worthington Steel's overall GF Score™ is 54/100 with 10 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Net-Net Working Capital calculated?
Net-Net Working Capital is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Worthington Steel (WS), the current Net-Net Working Capital is $-10.66 as of May. 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 Worthington Steel (WS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Worthington Steel stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $33.05 is trading 2.2% below its estimated GF Value™ of $33.79.
GuruFocus considers Worthington Steel to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for WS:
Net-Net Working Capital: $-10.66
GF Value™: $33.79 vs. price of $33.05 (2.2% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Worthington Steel Inc is a processor of carbon flat-rolled steel, a producer of laser-welded solutions, and a provider of electrical steel laminations. The company has manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada, China, India, Germany and Mexico. It buys coils of steel from primary steel producers and processes them to precise type, thickness, length, width, shape, and surface quality required by customer specifications. The company's product lines and processing capabilities include; carbon flat-rolled steel processing, electrical steel laminations, and tailor welded products. Geographically, the company generates a majority of its revenue from the United States followed by Canada, Mexico, and other regions.
54GF Score
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