ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Olympic Steel's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Sep. 2025 was $9 Mil.
Olympic Steel's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Sep. 2025 was $1,082 Mil. Therefore, Olympic Steel's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Sep. 2025 was 0.80%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Olympic Steel's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
ZEUS'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -4.42 Med: 2.77 Max: 14.55
Current: 1.3
During the past 13 years, Olympic Steel's highest ROA % was 14.55%. The lowest was -4.42%. And the median was 2.77%.
ZEUS's ROA % is not ranked
in the Steel industry.
Industry Median: 1.93
vs ZEUS: 1.30
Olympic Steel (NAS:ZEUS) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Sep. 2025) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Sep. 2025) revenue 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
Olympic Steel ROA % Related Terms
Olympic Steel ROA % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Olympic Steel's ROA % 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, Olympic Steel's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % 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.
Olympic Steel ROA % vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Olympic Steel's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Olympic Steel's ROA % 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 the calculation of annual ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Sep. 2025) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Olympic Steel (ZEUS) has a ROA % of 0.80% as of Sep. 2025. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Olympic Steel and its competitors. This is 71% below median its historical median of 2.77.
Is Olympic Steel's ROA % too high?
Olympic Steel's current ROA % of 0.80% is 71% below median its 10-year median of 2.77. The Steel industry median ROA % is 1.93. Olympic Steel's value of 0.80% is 58.5% below this industry median. Overall, Olympic Steel has a GF Score™ of 58/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Olympic Steel's ROA % compare to MSB and NWPX?
Olympic Steel's ROA % of 0.80% can be compared against companies in the Steel industry. The industry median ROA % is 1.93. Olympic Steel's value of 0.80% is 58.5% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 2.77 vs. the industry median of 1.93, Olympic Steel 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 ROA % for a Steel company?
The median ROA % among Steel companies is 1.93, based on 638 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Olympic Steel's current ROA % of 0.80% is 58.5% 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 ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Olympic Steel and its competitors. For the Steel industry, the median ROA % is 1.93 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Olympic Steel's current ROA % is 0.80%, which is 71% below median its own 10-year median of 2.77. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Olympic Steel stock overvalued right now?
Olympic Steel (ZEUS) has a current ROA % of 0.80%. The stock's GF Value™ is $36.41, compared to a current price of $47.86 — trading 31.4% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is 0.80%, which is 71% below median its 10-year median of 2.77 and 58.5% below the Steel industry median of 1.93. Olympic Steel's overall GF Score™ is 58/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Olympic Steel (ZEUS), the current ROA % is 0.80% as of Sep. 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 Olympic Steel (ZEUS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Olympic Steel stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $47.86 is trading 31.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $36.41.
Key valuation signals for ZEUS:
ROA %: 0.80% (71% below median its 10-year median of 2.77)
GF Value™: $36.41 vs. price of $47.86 (31.4% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ZEUS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Olympic Steel Inc provides metals processing and distribution services in the United States. The company operates in three reportable segments; specialty metals flat products, carbon flat products, and tubular and pipe products. It specializes in the processing and distribution of large volumes of carbon, aluminum, and stainless steel flat-rolled sheet, coils, plates, bars, and fabricated parts. The group serves various industries such as industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers, automobile manufacturers and suppliers, and transportation equipment manufacturers. The company generates majority of the revenue from carbon flat products.
58GF Score
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