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NewMarket NEU

NewMarket scores average on business quality (5.8 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.

Last price$893.36Oct 10, 2026
Business qualityAverage
Next earningsOct 28, 2026
Insiders, 90 daysQuiet

Why it matters

  1. What NewMarket does

    NewMarket Corp formulates and delivers petroleum additives, including lubricants and fuel additives, generating revenue by selling specialized chemical components to major automotive and industrial clients worldwide. Facing a slight revenue contraction, the company relies on pricing power to sustain cash generation while navigating flat top-line movement.

  2. What it does best

    NewMarket delivers exceptional free cash flow efficiency, posting a top-decile sector percentile of 90 for FCF margin. This strength relies on specialized chemical formulations that lock in industrial clients who face high switching costs. Compared to peers like ALB with an operating margin of 14.1%, NewMarket's operating margin reaches 20.0%.

  3. The main risk

    The primary risk is stagnant top-line demand, evidenced by a negative revenue growth rate of 2.2% and weak sector positioning at the 26th percentile for growth. If volume declines persist without adequate pricing offsets, overall earnings will contract further.

Quality, check by check

Scored against its own industry, from company filings.

ProfitabilityStrong

Operating margin stands at 20.0% and FCF margin sits at 17.3%, driven by disciplined pricing strategies. This margin profile shows strong profitability even as revenue scales sideways.

MoatFair

Customer lock-in via specialized petroleum additive formulations forms the moat, securing industrial clients who rely on mission-critical chemical blends. An operating margin sector percentile of 79 reflects this pricing power.

GrowthSlow

Revenue declined 2.2% to $2.7 billion over the latest period, showing a fading growth trend compared to historical flat-to-down periods. The core petroleum additives engine faces sluggish demand expansion across key markets.

Financial healthStrong

Total debt sits at $902 million with a manageable interest coverage ratio of 15.3x, meaning debt costs are easily absorbed. Free cash flow reached $474 million, supporting steady cash generation and solidifying balance sheet reality.

Insiders

Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.

No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.

Our sealed record on NEU

Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.

The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.

Questions

Is NEU a good business?

NewMarket scores average on the Cluenex quality check (5.8 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is strong, moat fair, growth slow and financial health strong.

Are insiders buying NEU?

In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.

When does NEU report earnings?

Oct 28, 2026.

For members

See NEU today

  • Today's verdict on NEU, and why
  • Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
  • The exact price that would change the verdict
  • Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
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Cite this page: Cluenex, “NewMarket (NEU)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/neu/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.