Profitable, but burning cash. Reports a profit, but free cash flow is negative.
Greenbrier Companies reports a profit but its free cash flow is negative: it spent more on investment and running the business than it brought in. That's common for companies building capacity, but it means the profit isn't yet turning into cash.
Paying shareholders without free cash flow. Paid out $195M over the 3 fiscal years to FY Aug 2025 with -$374M of free cash flow.
Greenbrier Companies returned $195M in buybacks and dividends over three fiscal years while its free cash flow totalled -$374M. The money came from its cash pile or from borrowing.
Operating margin at a 6-year high.11% in FY Aug 2025, the best of the last 6 years.
Greenbrier Companies kept 11% of revenue as operating profit in FY Aug 2025, its highest in the 6 years of filings we have.
Valuation signals disagree. Cheaper than 83% of peers on earnings, but only 0% on free cash flow.
Relative to its earnings, Greenbrier Companies looks cheaper than 83% of peers; relative to its free cash flow, cheaper than only 0%. The valuation score blends the two, so look at which measure fits this business best.
StockQuotient Score
38/ 100▼ 1 since Oct 27 closeOct 5 39 → Nov 4 38 (-1)
Since last quarter: No major changeValuation also moves with the share price every day.
Why it changed since the Oct 27, 2026 close: Score 72 → 68
Share price +10.9%-5
Company's reported figures updated+2
Peer companies moved-1
Each step re-scores the company against its peers as they were on Oct 28, 2026; the parts add up to the change. Price effects on EBITDA yield are approximate.
Sector-normalized EBITDA, earnings, and free cash flow yields.
Earnings yield8.3%
SEC filings · 12 months to May 2026Reported value30% base weight · Z-score 1.55Sector median: 0.0377 · MAD: 0.0294
EBITDA yield11.3%
SEC filings · 12 months to May 2026Reported value50% base weight · Z-score 1.03Sector median: 0.0695 · MAD: 0.0425
Free cash flow yield-8.7%
SEC filings · 12 months to May 2026 · operating cash flow − capital spendingNegative (a loss or cash outflow), so it counts as zero whatever the share price20% base weight · Z-score -1.00Sector median: 0.0370 · MAD: 0.0370
Valuation, growth and profitability scores: higher is better. Risk: 0 is lower, 2 is higher. Risk is a relative proxy, not a bankruptcy probability. Scores depend on available sector peers.
Questions investors ask about Greenbrier Companies
Is Greenbrier Companies getting weaker?
Its latest SEC filing (Jul 1, 2026) got weaker in some ways: 12-month revenue fell 9.2%; free cash flow turned negative over the last 12 months. Its overall score is 38/100, down 1 since Oct 28, 2026.
How is Greenbrier Companies valued vs its peers?
Priced lower than most peers relative to what it earns. Valuation scores 68/100 against 2,459 industrials peers.Earnings yield 8.3% vs a peer median of 3.8% (stronger than 83% of peers).Earnings yield 8.3% vs peers 3.8% (stronger than 83% of peers).Free cash flow yield -8.7% vs a peer median of 3.7% (weaker than 100% of peers).Free cash flow yield -8.7% vs peers 3.7% (weaker than 100% of peers).
Is Greenbrier Companies growing?
More slowly than most of its peers. Growth scores 4/100 against 2,459 industrials peers.Revenue growth -25.6% vs a peer median of 4.4% (weaker than 100% of peers).Revenue growth -25.6% vs peers 4.4% (weaker than 100% of peers).
How profitable is Greenbrier Companies?
Less profitable than most of its peers. Profitability scores 38/100 against 2,459 industrials peers.Return on invested capital 4.8% vs a peer median of 7.1% (weaker than 62% of peers).Return on invested capital 4.8% vs peers 7.1% (weaker than 62% of peers).
How risky is Greenbrier Companies?
Moderate risk relative to 2,459 industrials peers, judged on debt, liquidity and share-price swings.Current ratio 3.68× vs a peer median of 1.62× (stronger than 90% of peers).Current ratio 3.68× vs peers 1.62× (stronger than 90% of peers).Beta 1.44 vs a peer median of 0.64 (weaker than 93% of peers).Beta 1.44 vs peers 0.64 (weaker than 93% of peers). A relative measure, not a bankruptcy probability.
Latest filing: what changed
Quarter ended May 31, 2026 · filed Jul 1, 2026 · compared with the quarter ended Feb 28, 2026
Got weaker
12-month revenue fell 9.2%
Free cash flow turned negative over the last 12 months
Previous quarter
Latest quarter
Change
Revenue (12 months)
2.9B USD
2.6B USD
−9.2%
Net income (12 months)
148.3M USD
107.1M USD
−27.8%
Operating margin
8.7%
7.2%
−1.4 pts
Free cash flow (12 months)
230.5M USD
−112.4M USD
turned negative
Debt
1.8B USD
1.8B USD
+2.4%
Cash
521.8M USD
273.7M USD
−47.5%
Shares outstanding
30.9M
30.9M
+0.0%
From the company’s own SEC filings, as filed. Twelve-month figures roll forward one quarter at a time.
Industry valuation context
Sector: Industrials · 318 companies
Valuations in Industrials are near the top of their range since 2016.
85% of months since 2016 were valued lower than now.
41% of companies are in the most expensive fifth of their own price-to-sales history.
Over 24 months, company values +20% and earnings +14% (medians): prices and earnings moved broadly together.
Median price-to-sales is −24% vs the whole market, against a usual −31%.
2016Shaded: most expensive fifth of its range2026
Greenbrier Companies looks cheaper than most of its peers on our valuation measures, while the Industrials sector as a whole is valued high by its own standards since 2016. Both can be true at once.
Shown for Industrials: too few Railroads companies have a long enough history of their own.
Describes valuations since 2016; it does not predict prices. US companies worth $1B+, from SEC filings and month-end prices, as of Aug 2026. Today's companies and industry labels are used throughout. Measured on earnings, EBITDA, sales and free cash flow yields. How this works
Financials
Fiscal years from SEC annual filings · change vs the prior year
Key ratios
FY Aug 2021
FY Aug 2022
FY Aug 2023
FY Aug 2024
FY Aug 2025
Change
Gross margin
13.3%
10.3%
11.2%
15.8%
18.7%
▲ 3.0 pts
Operating margin
2.3%
4.0%
4.5%
9.2%
11.1%
▲ 2.0 pts
Net margin
1.9%
1.6%
1.6%
4.5%
6.3%
▲ 1.8 pts
Return on assets (ROA)
1.0%
1.2%
1.6%
3.8%
4.7%
▲ 0.9 pts
Return on equity (ROE)
2.5%
3.7%
5.0%
11.6%
13.3%
▲ 1.7 pts
Free cash flow margin
-10.3%
-17.8%
-7.4%
-1.9%
-0.5%
▲ 1.5 pts
Debt to equity
0.92×
1.23×
1.28×
1.28×
1.14×
▼ 10%
GBX price history
Price history is added with the daily price update and will appear after the next one.