L.B. Foster CoFSTR +3.05%66 Altman Z-Score is 4.77 as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 62% above its 10-year median of 2.95. GuruFocus rates FSTR with a GF Score™ of 66/100 and a GF Value™ of $25.01 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,000 Transportation companies, L.B. Foster Co ranks better than 83.2% on this metric.
The Altman Z-Score is a model designed to predict the likelihood of a company going bankrupt within the next two years. Created by American finance professor Edward Altman in 1968, the model is specifically designed for publicly traded manufacturing companies with assets greater than $1 million.
Good Sign:
Altman Z-score of 4.71 is strong.
L.B. Foster Co has a Altman Z-Score of 4.77, indicating it is in Safe Zones. This implies the Altman Z-Score is strong.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Altman Z-Score <= 1.8, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z-Score >= 3, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z-Score is between 1.8 and 3, it is in Grey Zones.
The historical rank and industry rank for L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:
FSTR'
s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.96 Med: 2.95 Max: 4.71
Current: 4.71
During the past 13 years, L.B. Foster Co's highest Altman Z-Score was 4.71. The lowest was 0.96. And the median was 2.95.
L.B. Foster Co (NAS:FSTR) Altman Z-Score Explanation
X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.
X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.
X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.
X4, Market Value of Equity/Book Value of Total Liabilities (MVE/TL): The measure shows how much the firm's assets can decline in value (measured by market value of equity plus debt) before the liabilities exceed the assets and the firm becomes insolvent.
X5, Revenue/Total Assets (S/TA): The capital-turnover ratio is a standard financial ratio illustrating the sales generating ability of the firm's assets.
Altman Z-Score does not apply to financial companies.
L.B. Foster Co Altman Z-Score Related Terms
L.B. Foster Co Altman Z-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score 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.
FSTR vs RAIL, SWVL, RVSN: Altman Z-Score Comparison
For the Railroads subindustry, L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z-Score 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.
L.B. Foster Co Altman Z-Score vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score falls into.
Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score for today is calculated with this formula:
Z
=
1.2
*
X1
+
1.4
*
X2
+
3.3
*
X3
+
0.6
*
X4
+
1.0
*
X5
=
1.2
*
0.2674
+
1.4
*
0.5292
+
3.3
*
0.0784
+
0.6
*
2.931
+
1.0
*
1.6878
=
4.77
* 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. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z-Score when X4 or X5 value is 0.
L.B. Foster Co (FSTR) has a Altman Z-Score of 4.77 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on L.B. Foster Co and its competitors. This is 62% above median its historical median of 2.95. Over the past decade, L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.96 to 4.71. According to the industry distribution chart, L.B. Foster Co ranks #168 out of 1000 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 16.8%.
Is L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score too high?
L.B. Foster Co's current Altman Z-Score of 4.77 is 62% above median its 10-year median of 2.95. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.96 to a high of 4.71. The Transportation industry median Altman Z-Score is 2.29. L.B. Foster Co's value of 4.77 is 108.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, L.B. Foster Co ranks #168 out of 1000 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, L.B. Foster Co has a GF Score™ of 66/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does L.B. Foster Co's Altman Z-Score compare to RAIL and SWVL?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, L.B. Foster Co ranks #168 out of 1000 companies for Altman Z-Score. This places L.B. Foster Co in the top 17% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 2.29. L.B. Foster Co's value of 4.77 is 108.3% above this benchmark. Historically, L.B. Foster Co's own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.96 to 4.71 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.95 vs. the industry median of 2.29, L.B. Foster 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 Altman Z-Score for a Transportation company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Transportation companies is 2.29, based on 1,000 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. L.B. Foster Co's current Altman Z-Score of 4.77 is 108.3% 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 Altman Z-Score mean?
A high Altman Z-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on L.B. Foster Co and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 2.29 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. L.B. Foster Co's current Altman Z-Score is 4.77, which is 62% above median its own 10-year median of 2.95. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is L.B. Foster Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, L.B. Foster Co (FSTR) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $25.01, compared to a current price of $44.64 — trading 78.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 4.77, which is 62% above median its 10-year median of 2.95 and 108.3% above the Transportation industry median of 2.29. L.B. Foster Co's overall GF Score™ is 66/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Altman Z-Score calculated?
Altman Z-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For L.B. Foster Co (FSTR), the current Altman Z-Score is 4.77 as of Jun. 25, 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 L.B. Foster Co (FSTR) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, L.B. Foster Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $44.64 is trading 78.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $25.01.
GuruFocus considers L.B. Foster Co to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for FSTR:
Altman Z-Score: 4.77 (62% above median its 10-year median of 2.95)
GF Value™: $25.01 vs. price of $44.64 (78.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 108.3% above the Transportation median (#168 of 1000)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FSTR stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
L.B. Foster Co is a technology solutions provider of products and services for the rail and infrastructure markets. The company has two reporting segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services (Rail); and Infrastructure Solutions (Infrastructure). Maximum revenue is generated from the Rail segment, which is comprised of several manufacturing and distribution businesses that provide products and services for freight and passenger railroads and industrial companies throughout the world. The Infrastructure segment offers engineered precast concrete solutions, as well as fabricated bridge, protective pipe coating, and pipe threading offerings across North America. Geographically, the company generates maximum revenue from the United States, followed by Canada, the UK, and other markets.
66GF Score
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