L.B. Foster Company
- Open
- 44.77
- Day high
- 44.81
- Day low
- 44.17
- Prev close
- 45.17
- Volume
- 16K
- Mkt cap
- $465M
- P/E (TTM)
- 40.8
- EPS (TTM)
- $1.09
- P/B
- 2.7
- P/S
- 0.8
- Yield
- —
- Per share
- —
L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) is a Industrials company listed on NASDAQ. The stock is up 99% over the past year.
L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
FSTR earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2026 | $-0.22 | $0.14 | +163.6% | $121M | +16.1% |
| Mar 3, 2026 | $0.66 | $0.22 | -66.7% | $160M | +56.7% |
| Mar 4, 2025 | $0.29 | $-0.02 | -106.9% | $128M | -2.2% |
| Nov 7, 2024 | $0.49 | $0.54 | +10.2% | $137M | +4.6% |
| Mar 5, 2024 | $-0.01 | $-0.04 | -499.7% | $135M | +4.3% |
| Mar 6, 2023 | $-0.00 | $0.03 | +13736.4% | $137M | +7.7% |
| Mar 1, 2022 | $0.16 | $-0.03 | -118.8% | $113M | -11.7% |
| Nov 2, 2021 | $0.24 | $0.02 | -91.7% | $130M | -7.7% |
| Aug 3, 2021 | $0.31 | $0.27 | -12.9% | $155M | +11.7% |
| May 3, 2021 | $-0.06 | $-0.12 | -100.0% | $116M | -9.1% |
| Mar 2, 2021 | $0.16 | $0.20 | +25.0% | $116M | — |
| Nov 4, 2020 | $0.23 | $0.09 | -60.9% | $118M | +540.0% |
FSTR insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2026 | Kunz John Edirector | Tax | 36 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | Guinee Patrick J.officer: EVP General Counsel & Sec. | Tax | 1,077 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | Ness Robertofficer: SVP, Precast Concrete Products | Tax | 683 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | THALMAN WILLIAM Mofficer: EVP & CFO | Tax | 1,178 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | O'Neill Jamie Fofficer: SVP, Human Resources | Tax | 269 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | LIPPARD GREGORY Wofficer: SVP -Rail | Tax | 905 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | Friedman Brian Hunterofficer: SVP, Chief Growth Officer | Tax | 416 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | KASEL JOHN Fdirector, officer: President & Chief Exec Officer | Tax | 4,102 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | OWEN DIANE Bdirector | Tax | 96 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | Rolli Sara Fayofficer: SVP, Operational Admin | Tax | 352 | $38.11 |
| May 27, 2026 | REILLY SEAN Mofficer: Controller | Tax | 425 | $38.11 |
| May 22, 2026 | Kunz John Edirector | Grant | 2,363 | — |
| May 22, 2026 | Thompson Bruce Ernestdirector | Grant | 2,363 | — |
| May 22, 2026 | OWEN DIANE Bdirector | Grant | 2,363 | — |
| May 22, 2026 | Meyer David Jdirector | Grant | 2,363 | — |
Source: FSTR SEC Form 4 filings, latest May 27, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full FSTR insider & 13F page →L.B. Foster Company company profile
Overview
L.B. Foster Company (NASDAQ:FSTR) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial company founded in 1902 that provides engineered products and services for building and infrastructure projects worldwide. The company has undergone significant strategic transformation over the past few years, completing nine strategic transactions including four acquisitions and five divestitures to focus on higher-margin, technology-driven solutions. Today, Foster operates as a specialized infrastructure company with three main business segments serving the rail transportation and general infrastructure markets.
Business
L.B. Foster operates in the infrastructure and rail transportation industries, providing specialized engineered products and services through three main business segments: 1. **Rail, Technologies, and Services segment** (approximately 60% of revenue): This segment supplies new and used rail materials to passenger railroads, short-line freight railroads, industrial companies, and rail contractors. The business includes traditional rail products like track spikes, anchors, bolts, and tie plates, as well as advanced technology solutions. The company manufactures friction management products that reduce wheel-rail wear and fuel consumption, railroad condition monitoring systems that detect track defects, and wheel impact load detection systems that identify damaged railcar wheels. Foster also produces engineered concrete railroad ties and provides aftermarket services for rail infrastructure maintenance. 2. **Precast Concrete Products segment** (approximately 25% of revenue): This division manufactures specialty precast concrete products including sound walls for highways, burial vaults, bridge beams, box culverts, and septic tanks for transportation and general infrastructure markets. The segment also produces precast concrete buildings used as restrooms, concession stands, and protective storage buildings in national, state, and municipal parks. The company recently expanded this segment with a new facility in Central Florida targeting residential and light industrial markets. 3. **Steel Products and Measurement segment** (approximately 15% of revenue): This segment provides bridge decking, bridge railing, structural steel fabrications, expansion joints, and other products for highway construction and repair. It also produces threaded pipe products for industrial water well, irrigation, and oil and gas markets, along with pipe coatings for oil and gas pipelines and utilities, plus precision measurement systems for the oil and gas market.
Revenue model
L.B. Foster generates revenue primarily through product sales across its three business segments, with different revenue models for each: The company's primary revenue stream comes from manufacturing and selling engineered products to infrastructure customers. In the Rail segment, Foster sells both commodity products (rails, spikes, tie plates) and higher-margin technology solutions (monitoring systems, friction management products). The Infrastructure segments generate revenue through manufacturing precast concrete products and steel fabrications for construction projects. The business model also includes a growing services component, particularly in the Rail segment where Foster provides aftermarket services, maintenance, and consumables for its installed technology base. This creates recurring revenue streams as customers require ongoing service and replacement parts for monitoring systems and friction management equipment. Foster's margins are influenced by several key factors. Commodity steel prices significantly impact costs, though the company maintains relationships with domestic steel mills to manage supply chain risks. Infrastructure spending cycles drive demand, with federal and state infrastructure programs providing substantial growth opportunities. Technology adoption in the rail industry improves margins as customers increasingly focus on safety and operational efficiency. Seasonal construction patterns affect quarterly performance, with stronger activity in Q2 and Q3 during peak construction season. The company's strategic shift toward higher-margin technology solutions and away from commodity products has improved overall profitability, with gross margins expanding from around 18% to over 22% in recent years.
Competitive moat
L.B. Foster operates in a moderately competitive environment with limited but meaningful competitive advantages. The company's strongest moat exists in its Rail Technologies business, where it has built the largest installed base of rail monitoring systems in North America. This creates switching costs for customers who have invested in Foster's technology infrastructure and generates recurring revenue from maintenance, upgrades, and consumables. The company's specialized engineering expertise and long-standing customer relationships provide some protection, particularly in niche markets like friction management and precast concrete for specialized applications. Foster's 120+ year history has established trust with major railroad operators and infrastructure contractors, creating relationship-based barriers to entry. However, the moat is relatively narrow in several areas. The traditional rail products business faces competition from larger steel companies and commodity suppliers. The precast concrete business, while growing, operates in fragmented regional markets with numerous local competitors. The steel products segment faces intense competition from larger structural steel fabricators. The company's competitive position is strengthened by its focus on technology-driven solutions rather than pure commodity products, but this advantage could be eroded by larger technology companies entering the rail monitoring space or by customers developing in-house capabilities. The infrastructure markets Foster serves are also cyclical and subject to government spending patterns, which limits pricing power during downturns.
Risks & safety
L.B. Foster presents a moderate margin of safety with mixed financial health indicators: **Liquidity and Solvency:** - Current ratio of 2.57 indicates strong short-term liquidity - Cash position remains low at $2.6 million, creating working capital constraints - Net debt of $44.5 million with gross leverage ratio of 1.2x shows manageable debt levels - Negative free cash flow of -$28.7 million in Q1 2025 raises concerns about cash generation **Valuation Metrics:** - EV/EBITDA of 42.2x appears elevated due to low trailing EBITDA - Price-to-book ratio of 1.21 suggests reasonable asset valuation - Trading at significant discount to management's 2025 aspirational targets **Other Considerations:** - Strong backlog growth (46.9% in Rail, 17.8% in Infrastructure) provides revenue visibility - Seasonal business model creates working capital volatility - Recent strategic transformation has improved margins but execution risk remains
Recent development
Over the past few years, L.B. Foster has executed a comprehensive strategic transformation focused on becoming a technology-driven infrastructure company. The company completed nine strategic transactions, including four acquisitions in Rail Technologies and Precast Concrete segments while divesting four non-core commodity businesses. Key strategic developments include expanding the Rail Technologies platform through acquisitions of companies like Skratch, Intelligent Video, and technology-focused businesses that enhance the company's monitoring and safety solutions. Foster launched its new Mark IV rail monitoring product and expanded its friction management business into new geographies and customer segments. In the Infrastructure segment, the company significantly expanded its Precast Concrete business, growing revenue by over 80% in some periods and establishing a new manufacturing facility in Central Florida. This expansion targets residential and light industrial markets beyond the traditional transportation infrastructure focus. The company also implemented an enterprise-wide restructuring program designed to generate $4.5 million in annual cost savings while redeploying resources toward front-of-house innovation and growth platforms. Foster exited lower-margin commodity businesses like bridge grid decking and focused capital allocation on higher-return opportunities. Recent operational developments include settling a significant legal matter with Union Pacific, ramping up the protective coatings business with 55 new hires, and achieving the highest gross margins in over a decade at 23.8%. The company has also established ambitious 2025 targets of $600 million in revenue and $50 million in EBITDA, representing significant growth from current levels.
FSTR company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Track FSTR with Drillr
SEC filings, earnings calls, insider activity, alt-data signals — all queryable through Drillr's AI terminal and MCP API.
Try Drillr for free