On the stock market since 1987, it operates in the world of consumer spending. It has 5,400 employees. Now — the numbers.
The company closed last year at a loss: costs ran above sales. The picture changes only if spending is reined in.
That much dependence is a risk in itself: if this one line weakens, the whole company feels it directly.
Before the clock runs out, either sales must climb sharply or new money must come in. This is the most critical line in the whole picture.
Executives buying with their own money is usually read as confidence in the company’s future.
We compared this company with its own sector across five subjects.
A score of 50 means class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Financial Strength: The cash-and-debt balance is thin; the buffer for hard times is slim.
Growth: Sales growth trails the sector average.
The stock trades 48% below its peak. The market has trimmed its expectations for the company.
Over the last 12 months, company executives reported 54 buys and 25 sells. Management buying with its own money is usually read as a good sign.
It pays out $1.09 per share each year — regular cash for whoever holds the stock.
A loss of $57.3M against $1.2B in annual sales. And on top of that, sales fell from the year before.
At the current pace of spending, the cash lasts about 2 years. After that, the company needs to find new money.
On our five-subject report card, AIN sits behind the class. A low grade doesn’t mean “doomed” — it means “big claim, small proof.”
The takeaway: AIN has solid sales but closed last year at a loss. The road back to profit runs through spending discipline.
The total grade weighs these five subjects against the sector — it isn’t a simple average of the five.