CluenexVontier VNT
Vontier scores weak on business quality (4.4 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Vontier does
Vontier builds critical technology for mobility and convenience store operations, supplying equipment and payment systems to fuel retailers and commercial fleets. The company is leaning into connected retail ecosystems, showcasing integrated tech platforms at industry events like NACS 2026.
- What it does best
Vontier dominates fueling and convenience store payment tech, backed by a gross margin of 46.8% that outpaces peer NOVT at 44.6%. Deep customer integrations make ripping out these mission-critical pumps and point-of-sale terminals nearly impossible for station operators.
- The main risk
Debt-heavy balance sheet with a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.7 creates tight financial constraints. With net debt sitting at $1.6B against operating cash flow of $463M, rising borrowing costs directly eat into cash available for shareholders or reinvestment.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Operating margin sits at 18.4% and net margin at 11.3%, driven by steady software and hardware sales. Profitability remains stable as it scales, though debt servicing costs limit overall returns.
Switching costs protect its core convenience store customer base, supported by an operating margin ranking in the 60th percentile. Retailers avoid replacing deeply embedded software and payment infrastructure.
Revenue of $3.1B shows a modest growth rate of 3.3%, hovering in the bottom quartile of its sector with an 18th percentile rank, reflecting a sluggish top-line engine compared to historical levels.
Total debt of $2.1B and net debt of $1.6B weigh on the balance sheet, though free cash flow reached $384M. The capital structure is under pressure and requires disciplined debt reduction.
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 VNT
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
Vontier scores weak on the Cluenex quality check (4.4 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is fair, moat fair, growth slow and financial health weak.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.
Oct 29, 2026, before the open.
See VNT today
- Today's verdict on VNT, 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
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Vontier (VNT)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/vnt/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.