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FWRD vs KE

FWRD
Forward Air Corporation
BEARISH
Price
$18.87
Market Cap
$595.4M
Sector
Industrials
AI Confidence
90%
KE
Kimball Electronics, Inc.
NEUTRAL
Price
$25.94
Market Cap
$631.3M
Sector
Industrials
AI Confidence
85%

Valuation

P/E Ratio
FWRD
--
KE
26.74
Forward P/E
FWRD
71.21
KE
17.53
P/B Ratio
FWRD
5.22
KE
1.08
P/S Ratio
FWRD
0.24
KE
0.43
EV/EBITDA
FWRD
11.22
KE
7.3

Profitability

Gross Margin
FWRD
19.67%
KE
7.8%
Operating Margin
FWRD
3.59%
KE
3.83%
Profit Margin
FWRD
-4.32%
KE
1.65%
ROE
FWRD
-63.34%
KE
4.32%
ROA
FWRD
1.98%
KE
3.63%

Growth

Revenue Growth
FWRD
-0.3%
KE
-4.5%
Earnings Growth
FWRD
--
KE
7.1%

Financial Health

Debt/Equity
FWRD
13.36
KE
0.3
Current Ratio
FWRD
1.22
KE
2.21
Quick Ratio
FWRD
1.06
KE
1.19

Dividends

Dividend Yield
FWRD
--
KE
--
Payout Ratio
FWRD
0.0%
KE
0.0%

AI Verdict

FWRD BEARISH

FWRD exhibits severe financial distress, anchored by a weak Piotroski F-Score of 2/9 and an alarming Debt/Equity ratio of 13.36. While the Price/Sales ratio is low, the company suffers from negative profit margins, a deeply negative ROE (-63.34%), and stagnant revenue growth. There is a stark disconnect between the bullish analyst target price ($35.33) and the deteriorating fundamental health and bearish insider sentiment. The combination of extreme leverage and poor operational efficiency suggests significant insolvency risk.

Strengths
Low Price-to-Sales ratio (0.24) suggesting potential undervaluation of top-line revenue
Current ratio of 1.22 indicates short-term liquidity is currently maintained
Recent quarterly earnings have beaten lowered analyst estimates
Risks
Extreme leverage with a Debt/Equity ratio of 13.36, far exceeding sector averages
Critical financial health indicated by a Piotroski F-Score of 2/9
Deeply negative Return on Equity (-63.34%) indicating value destruction
KE NEUTRAL

Kimball Electronics (KE) presents a mixed profile with a stable Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 and a clean balance sheet, but it currently trades at a premium to its Graham Number ($22.85) and Intrinsic Value ($17.12). While the company has seen a massive 92.6% price increase over the last year, this is not supported by organic growth, as revenue growth is negative (-4.50%). The company's primary strength lies in its low debt-to-equity ratio (0.30) and strong liquidity, but extremely thin profit margins (1.65%) leave little room for operational error.

Strengths
Strong liquidity with a Current Ratio of 2.21
Conservative leverage with Debt/Equity at 0.30
Positive earnings growth (7.10% YoY) despite revenue declines
Risks
Extremely thin profit margins (1.65%) and gross margins (7.80%)
Negative YoY and Q/Q revenue growth (-4.50%)
Current price ($25.94) exceeds both Graham and Intrinsic value estimates

Compare Another Pair

FWRD vs KE: Head-to-Head Comparison

This page compares Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) and Kimball Electronics, Inc. (KE) across key fundamental metrics including valuation ratios, profitability margins, growth rates, financial health indicators, and dividend metrics. Each metric highlights the better-performing stock so you can quickly identify relative strengths and weaknesses.

Our AI engine independently analyzes each company's financials, competitive position, and market conditions to produce a verdict (Bullish, Neutral, or Bearish) along with key strengths and risks. Use this comparison alongside your own research to make informed investment decisions.

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