Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 was -27.09%.
As of Jun. 2026, Shutterstock has a Sloan Ratio of -27.09%, indicating there is a warning stage of accrual build up.
Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Jun. 2026, Shutterstock has a Sloan Ratio of -27.09%, indicating there is a warning stage of accrual build up.
Shutterstock Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Shutterstock Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % 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.
SSTK vs ANGI, GETY, DIBS: Sloan Ratio % Comparison
For the Internet Content & Information subindustry, Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % 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.
Shutterstock Sloan Ratio % vs Interactive Media Industry
For the Interactive Media industry and Communication Services sector, Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
Shutterstock's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 was 13.387 (Sep. 2025 ) + -16.019 (Dec. 2025 ) + -47.569 (Mar. 2026 ) + -155.939 (Jun. 2026 ) = $-206.1 Mil.
Shutterstock's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 was 78.39 (Sep. 2025 ) + 36.213 (Dec. 2025 ) + 17.37 (Mar. 2026 ) + 0.621 (Jun. 2026 ) = $132.6 Mil.
Shutterstock's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 was -11.239 (Sep. 2025 ) + -10.359 (Dec. 2025 ) + -11.146 (Mar. 2026 ) + -10.139 (Jun. 2026 ) = $-42.9 Mil.
* 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.
Shutterstock (SSTK) has a Sloan Ratio % of -27.09% as of Jun. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Shutterstock and its competitors.
Is Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % too high?
Shutterstock's current Sloan Ratio % is -27.09%. Overall, Shutterstock has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % compare to ANGI and GETY?
Shutterstock's Sloan Ratio % of -27.09% can be compared against companies in the Interactive Media industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for an Interactive Media company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Interactive Media industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % 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 Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Shutterstock and its competitors. Shutterstock's current Sloan Ratio % is -27.09%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Shutterstock stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Shutterstock (SSTK) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $25.99, compared to a current price of $5.32 — trading 79.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is -27.09%. Shutterstock's overall GF Score™ is 68/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Shutterstock (SSTK), the current Sloan Ratio % is -27.09% 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 Shutterstock (SSTK) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Shutterstock stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $5.32 is trading 79.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of $25.99.
GuruFocus considers Shutterstock to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for SSTK:
Sloan Ratio %: -27.09%
GF Value™: $25.99 vs. price of $5.32 (79.5% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SSTK stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Shutterstock Inc is a U.S.-based company that is engaged in the provision of digital content. The content segment, whose offerings include licenses for Images, Footage, Music, 3 Dimensional, and Generative AI content. Data, Distribution, and Service offerings address customer demand for products and services that are beyond its Content licenses. The company generates the majority of its revenue from Content offerings. Geographically the company generates the majority of its revenue from the Domestic market, but also has its presence in Europe and Rest of the Countries.
68GF Score
Get the complete analysis for SSTK
Sloan Ratio % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
SSTK has been successfully added to your 
