Scholastic Corporation Common Stock (SCHL)

FairStock Score: 52/100 — MIXED

Key Financials

Strengths

• Generates $116 million in annual free cash flow (11.2% yield on market cap)
• Conservative balance sheet with debt-to-equity of just 0.36, providing financial flexibility

Concerns

• Revenue declining at 1.9% year-over-year signals potential demand weakness or market share loss
• Altman Z-Score of 1.7 places it in the financial distress zone—elevated bankruptcy risk

AI Analysis

Scholastic Corporation Common Stock is a micro-cap communication services company valued at $1.0 billion. The business generates $1.6 billion in annual revenue with a 3.9% net margin and $116 million in free cash flow. From a quality standpoint, Scholastic shows distressed Altman Z-Score of 1.7 warrants caution and modest 7% ROE. On valuation, the stock is reasonably priced at 17.4x earnings, with a modest 13% margin of safety vs Graham Number. Growth dynamics show revenue growing at -1.9% and profit growth of 1836.1%. The 1.9% dividend yield adds an income component for patient holders. Our composite FairStock Score of 52/100 reflects mixed fundamentals overall. Investors should weigh the business quality against the current price and their own margin of safety requirements.

Bull Case

Improving fundamentals and sector tailwinds could drive meaningful earnings growth, compressing the effective multiple for patient investors. With $116 million in annual free cash flow (11.2% yield), management has ample capital for buybacks, dividends, or accretive acquisitions.

Bear Case

Macro headwinds or sector-specific disruption could pressure margins, particularly if competitive intensity increases in the communication services space. Regulatory changes, input cost inflation, or demand normalization represent underappreciated risks that could materially impact forward estimates.

Data from SEC filings. AI analysis is for educational purposes only — not investment advice. Scoring methodology · Disclaimer