ZEUS

Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) Economic Moat Analysis (2026)

Invetso Score: 4.8/10 — Balanced · Last Updated: 2026-08-01

Overall Score

Profitability Returns

Returns remain weak, with ROIC at 2.1%, ROE at 1.7%, and ROA at 0.9%, indicating limited evidence of a durable moat.

Operating margins are thin at 1.8% EBIT and 3.4% EBITDA, despite an unusually high gross margin of 99.1%.

Cash Generation Capital Efficiency

Free cash flow yield is solid at 6.4%, but FCF conversion is uneven with FCF/OCF at 58.0% and FCF per share of $2.94.

Capital intensity remains meaningful, with capex at 42.0% of operating cash flow and capex roughly in line with depreciation.

Balance Sheet Resilience

Liquidity is healthy with a current ratio of 3.12 and quick ratio of 1.17.

Leverage is manageable but not trivial, with debt-to-equity at 0.49 and net debt to EBITDA at 5.46.

Pricing Power Competitive Position

The company’s very high gross margin suggests some pricing power or favorable product economics, but low operating margins imply limited downstream moat capture.

Valuation remains modest at 0.36x sales and 0.97x book, which supports downside protection more than it confirms a strong moat.

Sources

  • Company filings (10-K, 10-Q, investor presentations)
  • Financial and market data providers
  • Public news and industry information

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