Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD) scored on five pillars from its reported financial statements, and ranked against 77 Materials companies.
Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD) scores 4.7 out of 10 as of , computed from its reported financial statements. That reads as mixed quality. The reading rests on solvency, and growth is what holds it back.
Data provided by Twelve Data. Scores are computed by Lemma Analysis from reported financials.
We cannot judge Steel Dynamics Inc. yet, because fewer than five years had both a return on capital and a cost of capital we could measure. This is not a “no”.
Quantitative signs of a moat, read from the filed statements. This is not a judgement of where it comes from (brand, network effects, switching costs). How Lemma measures a moat →
The Quality Score for STLD stands at 4.7 out of 10 as of October 19, 2026, which puts Steel Dynamics Inc. in the mixed quality band. In this band one or two pillars are usually holding the score up while others drag it down, which the breakdown below makes visible. It rolls Steel Dynamics Inc.’s profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability into one number, each judged against the norms of its sector.
Among the 77 Materials companies with a published score, that ranks at the 53rd percentile, above the middle of the group. The median across the group is 4.4, and the top quarter begins at 6.2, so Steel Dynamics Inc. is in line with the typical company here.
Profitability scores 5.7 out of 10, which reads as average. The median across 74 Materials companies is 4.4, so Steel Dynamics Inc. is above its peers on this pillar and ranks at the 66th percentile. Profitability in the middle of the range is neither a moat nor a warning: margins and returns look like those of an ordinary business in this line of work.
Steel Dynamics Inc.’s solvency score is 8.1 out of 10 (strong). Against a median of 6.7 among 66 Materials companies, that is above the group and the 69th percentile. Strong solvency points to a balance sheet that can carry its debts comfortably, with interest well covered and little pressure from creditors.
On growth, Steel Dynamics Inc. scores 0.9, a weak reading. Its peers have a median of 3.2 across 57 Materials companies, which places it well below them, at the 14th percentile. When growth is this low the question is whether it is a pause or a trend, and the history behind the filings is the place to look.
Steel Dynamics Inc.’s efficiency score is 4.0 out of 10 (average). Against a median of 5.2 among 71 Materials companies, that is below the group and the 36th percentile. Efficiency near the median says the operation is neither unusually lean nor unusually capital hungry.
On predictability, Steel Dynamics Inc. scores 4.6, an average reading. Its peers have a median of 4.5 across 76 Materials companies, which places it in line with them, at the 53rd percentile. Consistency near the median is typical, and it is worth checking whether the swings came from the business itself or from one-off items.
The gap between Steel Dynamics Inc.’s best and worst pillar is wide: solvency at 8.1 against growth at 0.9, 7.2 points apart. An average of two readings this different deserves a closer look than the headline number. Leading with solvency is a defensive strength: it protects the business more than it grows it. Slow growth limits how fast the business can compound, even when everything else is in order.
Closing the gap on growth would do the most for the overall. At the median of Materials companies, 3.2, Steel Dynamics Inc. would score about 5.2 instead of 4.7. The weights add up to 100 points (profitability 25, solvency 20, growth 20, efficiency 15, predictability 20), and Steel Dynamics Inc. has a reading on every pillar.
For a fair comparison, start with companies of a similar size: the Materials companies below are nearest to Steel Dynamics Inc. by market value, each scored on the same pillars.
How much profit the company generates from its capital and sales.
The company’s ability to service debt and meet its obligations.
How fast revenue, earnings and cash flow are compounding.
How well assets and earnings convert into cash and output.
How stable and consistent results have been over time.
Each metric is scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks, where higher is better. Metrics roll up into five pillars, and the pillars combine into the overall score using the weights shown. Sector-sensitive metrics are judged relative to peers in the same sector.
This score is a systematic, backward-looking read of reported fundamentals. It does not judge valuation, management quality, competitive moat, or future prospects, and can be distorted by one-off items or unusual accounting. Treat it as a starting point, not a recommendation.
Educational only. Not investment advice.
On this reading Steel Dynamics Inc. scores 4.7 out of 10, which reads as mixed quality. Its strongest pillar is solvency, its weakest is growth. Quality is not the same as a good investment: the score says nothing about the price you would pay.
Steel Dynamics Inc. ranks at the 53rd percentile of the 77 Materials companies Lemma publishes a score for. The median there is 4.4 and the top quarter starts at 6.2, against Steel Dynamics Inc.’s 4.7.
Five pillars, each scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks and then weighted into one overall reading: profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability. Everything comes from reported financials, and nothing comes from price, sentiment or forecasts.
This page last changed on October 19, 2026. The score moves with the financial statements, so the page changes when a new filing moves the reading rather than on a schedule. Live figures for STLD are in the app.
No. Quality and valuation are separate questions, and a good business at the wrong price is still a bad purchase. Score the business here, then price it with a DCF you control.
Inside Lemma Analysis the same five pillars run on every company we cover, with the metrics behind each one, current fundamentals, a DCF you control and a watchlist that tells you when the price catches up.
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