KRT
Karat Packaging Inc. (KRT) Economic Moat Analysis (2026)
Overall Score
Profitability Returns
ROIC is 19.0% and ROE is 32.5%, indicating solid returns on capital and equity.
Operating margin is 12.8% and net margin is 10.2%, showing healthy profitability.
Gross margin is 40.5%, supporting a reasonable buffer above operating costs.
Balance Sheet Cash Generation
Current ratio is 2.25 and quick ratio is 1.25, indicating comfortable short-term liquidity.
Net debt to EBITDA is 0.42x and interest coverage is 16.2x, suggesting low leverage and strong debt service capacity.
Free cash flow yield is 5.3% and income quality is 0.82, pointing to solid cash conversion.
Competitive Positioning
Revenue growth is not provided, so moat durability is inferred mainly from returns and margins.
The company’s 19.0% ROIC and 40.5% gross margin suggest some pricing power and operational efficiency.
Price-to-sales of 1.94x and EV/sales of 2.01x imply the market is not pricing in a wide moat.
Capital Allocation Shareholder Returns
Dividend yield is 3.8% with a payout ratio of 71.7%, indicating a meaningful return of capital to shareholders.
Capex is modest at 1.2% of revenue, leaving room for cash generation and distributions.
Book value per share is 8.74 and tangible book value per share is 8.55, providing a tangible asset base.
Sources
- Company filings (10-K, 10-Q, investor presentations)
- Financial and market data providers
- Public news and industry information
🔒 Go Beyond This Framework
This is one of 10 institutional-grade frameworks Invetso runs on Karat Packaging Inc.. Unlock the complete analysis — SWOT, Economic Moat, Porter’s Five Forces, Management, PESTLE and the Invetso Quality Score.

