VALUE LINE INC

VALU

Value Line, Inc. engages in the production and sale of investment periodicals and related publications. Its investment periodicals and related publications cover a range of investments, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and options. The company offers comprehensive research services, including The Value Line Investment Survey - Small and Mid-Cap, The Value Line 600, and The Value Line Fund Advisor Plus that provide statistical and text coverage of various investment securities, with an emphasis placed on its proprietary research, analysis, and statistical ranks.

About the company

Country: United StatesPrice: $40.48Market Cap: $379.8M

Investment snapshot

24%positive consensus

Scored 1d ago

Positive

BUY / PASS

Neutral / negative

4 / 8

NEUTRAL / FAIL

Median fair value

$21.67

-46.5% vs price

Models with upside

2 / 17

Positive margin of safety

Strongest signal

6 of 10 pass — Piotroski, Dreman, Pabrai +1 more object

Key risk

11 of 12 flag VALU's debt & leverage — Graham, Buffett, Lynch +8 more

Framework analysis

Verdict	Meaning
BUY	Positive purchase signal: the framework's buy requirements are met.
PASS	The company clears the framework's checklist or screen, but the framework does not produce a buy signal. For valuation frameworks this often means margin of safety is missing, insufficient, or unavailable; some screen-only frameworks have no intrinsic-value BUY state.
NEUTRAL	Neither a positive nor negative conclusion. It does not mean to hold an existing position.
FAIL	The company does not clear the framework's requirements.
Ranked	Ranked strategies do not use PASS: selected cohort is BUY, outside the cohort is FAIL, and unranked is NEUTRAL.

Current investor scores use trailing 12-month flows and the latest balance sheet where supported. Multi-year and EPS tests retain annual history; each framework shows its financial basis below. Intrinsic values use annual financials.

Metric	Graham Defensive Value	Buffett Quality Compounder	Lynch GARP	Greenblatt Magic Formula	Piotroski F-Score	Dreman Contrarian Value	Munger Quality Focus	Pabrai Dhandho Framework	Akre Three-Legged Stool	Marks Risk-Aware Value	Ackman Activist Value	Templeton Global Bargain Hunter	Sleep Scale Economies Shared	Asness Systematic Factors	Neff Low-P/E Total Return	Schloss Asset-Value Discipline	O'Shaughnessy Systematic Factor Composite
Verdict	FAIL	PASS	FAIL	FAIL · Rank #1488 (Top 48%)	NEUTRAL	FAIL	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL	PASS	FAIL	PASS	NEUTRAL	FAIL	NEUTRAL	NEUTRAL
Score
Analysis	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…	Checking access…
Intrinsic Value (annual)	N/A		N/A		N/A	N/A						N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Margin of Safety	N/A	+19.7%	N/A	-584.9%	N/A	N/A	-86.8%	-165.6%	+52.6%	-72.8%	-129.6%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Financial Basis	TTM ended 2026-07-31 · Balance sheet at 2026-07-31 · Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · TTM ended 2026-07-31 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · TTM ended 2026-07-31 · Balance sheet at 2026-07-31 · Market data at 2026-11-01 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Qualitative assessment · Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Qualitative assessment · Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · Qualitative assessment Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · Qualitative assessment Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · TTM ended 2026-07-31 · Market data at 2026-11-01 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · Price history 2025-01-01–2026-11-01 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · Qualitative assessment Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	TTM ended 2026-07-31 · Balance sheet at 2026-07-31 · Price history 2025-01-01–2026-11-01 · Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 Latest source filing: 2025-07-29 Score computed: 2026-11-14	Annual history · FY 2024 · Balance sheet at 2026-07-31 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14	TTM ended 2026-07-31 · Annual history · FY 2024 · Price history 2025-01-01–2026-11-01 Latest source filing: 2026-09-14 Score computed: 2026-11-14

Where It Passes

Cash Flow60% pass✓ 8✗ 4▾
6 of 10 pass — Piotroski, Dreman, Pabrai +1 more object
Free Cash Flow Proxy$21.8M
✓BuffettPositive and growing
FCF Positive and Growing$20.1M
✓LynchPositive and growing
Operating Cash Flow$20.2M
✓PiotroskiCFO > 0
(CFO / Total Assets) vs ROACFO/Assets=14.01%, ROA=14.31%
✗PiotroskiCFO/Assets > ROA
Price / (CFO / Shares)18.8x
✗Dreman< 8x
P/E or FCF YieldFCF Yield=5.3%
✗PabraiP/E < 15 or FCF Yield > 10%
FCF Positive15/16 years FCF positive
✓MarksPositive FCF in majority of recent years
(OCF - CapEx) / Market Cap5.3%
✓Ackman>= 4%
Price / FCF per Share19.0x
✓Ackman<= 25
Positive Operating Cash Flow frequency15/16 years positive
✓SleepPositive OCF in >= 70% of available years
Operating Cash Flow - Capital Expenditures$20.1M
✓Neff> $0 (app proxy for a strong fundamental case)
(Operating cash flow - capex) / market capitalization+5.28%; #1531/4519 (top 33.9%)
✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section

Where It Falls Short

Debt & Leverage8% pass✓ 3✗ 12▾
11 of 12 flag VALU's debt & leverage — Graham, Buffett, Lynch +8 more
LT Debt vs Net Current Assets
✗GrahamLT Debt <= Net Current Assets
Debt/Equity & Interest Coverage
✗BuffettD/E < 0.5 AND Interest Coverage > 5x
Total Debt / Equity
✗Lynch< 0.33
Cash - Long-term Debt
✗LynchPositive preferred
LT Debt / Total Assets Change0.00% -> 0.00%
✓PiotroskiDecreased YoY
Current Assets / Current Liabilities4.09
✓Dreman> 1.5✓SchlossCurrent ratio >= 1.50x (app cutoff)
Total Debt / Shareholders' Equity
✗Dreman< 0.8✗Templeton< 1.0 (fixed cap; proxy for below-sector-median leverage)✗SchlossD/E < 1.00x
Debt Levels
✗MungerDebt/Equity < 0.5✗AkreDebt/Equity < 0.3
Interest Coverage & Debt/EBITDA
✗MarksInterest Coverage > 3x; Debt/EBITDA < 4x
Total Debt / Shareholders Equity
✗Ackman<= 1.0
Negative debt-to-equity (higher means less debt)
✗AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section
Growth13% pass✓ 4✗ 9▾
7 of 8 flag VALU's growth — Graham, Lynch, Dreman +4 more
EPS Growth (3-yr avg, 10-yr window)
✗Graham>= 33% growth
Basic earnings-growth PEG (dividends excluded)
✗Lynch< 1.0 (ideally < 0.5)
3-5 Year EPS CAGR26.5%
✓Lynch15-30% (Fast Grower); > 0% to pass
Inventory Growth vs Revenue GrowthN/A (no inventory)
✓LynchInventory growth < Revenue growth
EPS Growth Direction$-2.32 (2009) -> $2.43 (2020)
✓DremanPositive over recent years
EPS CAGR-4.3% CAGR over 10 years
✗Dreman> 5% annualized
Positive Net Income Frequency15/16 years positive
✓MarksPositive net income in >= 7 of last 10 years
3yr Median Revenue Growth-5.6%
✗Ackman>= 5%
Positive EPS Growth Frequency1/1 years with positive EPS growth
✗AckmanPositive EPS growth in >= 3 of last 5 years
5-Year EPS CAGR
✗Templeton> 0% (5-year EPS CAGR)
Revenue growth vs. gross and operating margin trendrevenue flat/down, operating margin 28.9% -> 17.1%
✗SleepRevenue rising; gross margin flat or falling; operating margin holding
5-year Revenue CAGR-2.7%
✗SleepCAGR > 7%
3-5 Year Diluted EPS CAGR26.5% over 5 years
✗Neff7%-20% annualized
Valuation15% pass✓ 5✗ 23▾
11 of 13 flag VALU's valuation — Graham, Lynch, Greenblatt +8 more
Net income / market capitalization+5.22%; #1611/6340 (top 25.4%)
✓AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section
Price / 3-yr avg EPS
✗Graham<= 15x
Price-to-Book Ratio3.8x
✗Graham<= 1.5x
P/E x P/B
✗Graham<= 22.5
Basic earnings-growth PEG (dividends excluded)
✗Lynch< 1.0 (ideally < 0.5)
EBIT / Enterprise Value1.7%
✗Greenblatt> 10%
Earnings Yield + ROC AssessmentEY=1.7%, ROC=23.4%
✗GreenblattBoth EY > 10% and ROC > 25%
Price / EPS
✗Dreman< 12x✗Templeton< 12x (fixed ceiling; proxy for the market's cheapest 40%)
Price / (CFO / Shares)18.8x
✗Dreman< 8x
Price / Book Value per Share3.8x
✗Dreman< 1.2x✗Templeton< 1.5x✗SchlossP/B <= 0.80x (app cutoff)
Valuation ReasonablenessOE Yield=5.7%
✓MungerP/E < 25 or Owner Earnings Yield > 5%
P/E or FCF YieldFCF Yield=5.3%
✗PabraiP/E < 15 or FCF Yield > 10%
P/B or P/E vs. Historical AverageP/B=3.8x
✗MarksP/E < 15 or P/B < 2.0
Discount to Intrinsic Value
✗Marks>= 20% below intrinsic value
Price / FCF per Share19.0x
✓Ackman<= 25
Price vs. Trailing Low115% of trailing low ($35.10)
✓Templeton<= 120% of trailing low (certified split-adjusted live window)
Positive book equity / market capitalization+0.2874; #3747/6449 (top 58.1%)
✗AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section
Price / Diluted EPS
✗NeffP/E <= 15x (app proxy for a P/E 40%-60% below the market)
(EPS CAGR % + Dividend Yield %) / P/E
✗Neff> 0.7 (Neff's published traditional edge)
Price / Tangible Book Value per Share3.82x
✗SchlossP/TBV <= 1.00x (app cutoff)
Book Value per Share Change+90.3%
✓SchlossLatest BVPS >= earliest BVPS over >= 3 years (app rule)
Revenue / market capitalization+0.0866; #4404/5247 (top 83.9%)
✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section
(Operating cash flow - capex) / market capitalization+5.28%; #1531/4519 (top 33.9%)
✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section
Trailing six-month price return through the evaluation date+15.33%; #1585/6202 (top 25.6%)
✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section
Profitability19% pass✓ 16✗ 19▾
13 of 16 flag VALU's profitability — Graham, Buffett, Lynch +10 more
Net income / market capitalization+5.22%; #1611/6340 (top 25.4%)
✓AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section✗OshaughnessyTop 10% of eligible cross-section
Positive EPS (10 years)11/17 years positive
✗GrahamPositive EPS every year for 10 years
EPS Growth (3-yr avg, 10-yr window)
✗Graham>= 33% growth
Net Income Positive (10+ years)15/17 years positive
✗BuffettPositive every year for 10+ years
ROE (up to 5-year arithmetic mean)25.6%
✓Buffett> 15% arithmetic mean (app rule)
Operating Margin (10-yr trend)17.1% (latest)
✓BuffettStable or rising over 10 years
Free Cash Flow Proxy$21.8M
✓BuffettPositive and growing
Earnings Variance (10-yr CoV)1.27
✗BuffettCoV < 0.3
Retained Earnings Effectiveness
✗Buffett$1 retained -> > $1 market value created
Basic earnings-growth PEG (dividends excluded)
✗Lynch< 1.0 (ideally < 0.5)
3-5 Year EPS CAGR26.5%
✓Lynch15-30% (Fast Grower); > 0% to pass
ROE18.2%
✓Lynch> 15%
EBIT / Enterprise Value1.7%
✗Greenblatt> 10%
Earnings Yield + ROC AssessmentEY=1.7%, ROC=23.4%
✗GreenblattBoth EY > 10% and ROC > 25%
Net Income / Total Assets14.31%
✓PiotroskiROA > 0
ROA Change YoY13.98% -> 14.31% (delta: +0.33%)
✓PiotroskiCurrent ROA > Prior ROA
(CFO / Total Assets) vs ROACFO/Assets=14.01%, ROA=14.31%
✗PiotroskiCFO/Assets > ROA
Gross Margin Change YoY
✗PiotroskiImproved YoY
Pre-Tax Income / Revenue82.6%
✓Dreman>= 8%
Net Income / Shareholders' Equity18.2%
✓Dreman> 12%
Margin of SafetyP/B=3.8x
✗PabraiP/B < 1.5 or P/E < 15
Return on Equity21.1% (3-yr avg)
✓AkreROE > 20% (3-year avg)
Discount to Intrinsic Value
✗Marks>= 20% below intrinsic value
Positive Net Income Frequency15/16 years positive
✓MarksPositive net income in >= 7 of last 10 years
Operating Income / Revenue10.8%
✗Ackman>= 15%
Net Income / Shareholders Equity18.2%
✓Ackman>= 15%
5-Year EPS CAGR
✗Templeton> 0% (5-year EPS CAGR)
Operating Margin Trend28.9% (2022) -> 17.1% (2024)
✗TempletonNon-negative operating-margin trend over 3 years
Revenue growth vs. gross and operating margin trendrevenue flat/down, operating margin 28.9% -> 17.1%
✗SleepRevenue rising; gross margin flat or falling; operating margin holding
Gross profit / total assets
✗AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section
Net income / positive book equity+18.16%; #903/5226 (top 17.3%)
✓AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section
Negative 5-year standard deviation of ROA-0.0239; #1643/5884 (top 27.9%)
✓AsnessTop 30% of eligible cross-section
3-5 Year Diluted EPS CAGR26.5% over 5 years
✗Neff7%-20% annualized
Positive Diluted-EPS Years6/6 years positive
✓Schloss>= 70% positive over 5-10 observed years (app rule)
Valuation models29% pass✓ 2✗ 5▾
Models split on VALU at $40.48 — fair values range $5.91–$85.41
Buffett fair value$50.44
✓Buffett+19.7% margin vs $40.48
Greenblatt fair value$5.91
✗Greenblatt-584.9% margin vs $40.48
Munger fair value$21.67
✗Munger-86.8% margin vs $40.48
Pabrai fair value$15.24
✗Pabrai-165.6% margin vs $40.48
Akre fair value$85.41
✓Akre+52.6% margin vs $40.48
Marks fair value$23.43
✗Marks-72.8% margin vs $40.48
Ackman fair value$17.63
✗Ackman-129.6% margin vs $40.48
Verdicts31% pass✓ 4✗ 9▾
Split decision: 8 FAIL · 4 PASS · 4 NEUTRAL
Overall verdict
✗GrahamFAIL (2/9)✓BuffettPASS (5/9)✗LynchFAIL (4/7)✗GreenblattRank #1488•PiotroskiNEUTRAL (F-Score 6)✗DremanFAIL (4/11)✓MungerPASS (2/4)✗PabraiFAIL (0/3)✗AkreFAIL (2/6)✗MarksFAIL (2/5)✓AckmanPASS (4/9)✗TempletonFAIL (3/8)✓SleepPASS (3/6)•AsnessNEUTRAL (Not ranked)✗NeffFAIL (2/6)•SchlossNEUTRAL (4/7)•OshaughnessyNEUTRAL (Not ranked)
Efficiency38% pass✓ 5✗ 6▾
5 of 8 flag VALU's efficiency — Greenblatt, Piotroski, Munger +2 more
Current Ratio4.09
✓Graham>= 2.0
ROIC (3-5 yr avg)14.4%
✓Buffett> 10%
ROIC - WACC+4.4%
✓BuffettPositive (WACC = 10%)
EBIT / (NWC + Net Fixed Assets)23.4%
✗Greenblatt> 25%
Current Ratio Change YoY3.19 -> 3.38
✓PiotroskiIncreased YoY
Revenue / Total Assets Change YoY0.28x -> 0.24x
✗PiotroskiImproved YoY
Current Assets / Current Liabilities4.09
✓Dreman> 1.5
Return on Invested Capital
✗Munger> 15%
ROIC (high and growing)FY2022: ROIC=unavailable; FY2023: ROIC=unavailable; FY2024: ROIC=unavailable
✗AkreLatest 3 consecutive FYs: ROIC > 15% in each
Reinvestment Rate x ROIC
✗AkreReinvestment Rate * ROIC > 10%
ROIC (5-year)0/2 years above 12% (latest 10.7%)
✗SleepROIC > 12% in a majority of years

Business & financials

Financial snapshot: annual FY 2024. Current investor scores may use newer quarterly data.

Company Profile

Industry: Trading

SIC Sector: Security & Commodity Brokers

Size: Small Cap($379.8M)

Revenue: $35.1M-6.4% YoY

Net Income: $20.7M+8.8% YoY

Financial Snapshot

Operating Margin17.1%

Return on Equity20.8%

Debt / Equity--

Current Ratio3.38

Buybacks (1y)$453.0K

Buybacks (2y)$976.0K

Shares Retired0.1% / 0.2% 2y

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Shareholder Return

Fiscal 2024

Retired 0.1% of shares last year, 0.2% over two.

Buybacks: $453.0K
Dividends: $11.3M

Company Financials

Latest TTM and quarters alongside annual years

TTM sums four consecutive quarters and uses the latest quarter-end balances. Quarter columns show three-month results; annual columns show full-year totals. Growth compares the same period a year earlier. EPS is not added for TTM; full-year ratios are blank for quarters.

The latest annual period end is unavailable. Showing the latest fiscal cycle’s quarters; quarter and annual columns may overlap. Quarterly shows the full quarter history.

Metric	TTM · 2026-07-31 2025-08-01 – 2026-07-31 Sources · derived quarter values 10-Q · 2025-12-15 10-Q · 2026-03-17 10-K · 2026-07-29 10-Q · 2026-09-14 Derived from cumulative filings: operating cash flow, depreciation amortization, capex, dividends paid, buybacks, revenue, net income, operating income, ebit, pre tax income.	Q1 · 2026-07-31 2026-05-01 – 2026-07-31 Sources 10-Q · 2026-09-14	FY 2024 Sources 10-K · 2025-07-29	FY 2023 Sources 10-K · 2024-07-26	FY 2022 Sources 10-K · 2023-07-28	FY 2021 Sources 10-K · 2022-07-26	FY 2020 Sources 10-K · 2021-07-29
Market Cap	$379.8Mcurrent	--	$355.2Mest.	$392.8Mest.	$445.6Mest.	$503.6Mest.	$257.7Mest.
Revenue	$32.9M↓5%	$8.1M↓6%	$35.1M↓6%	$37.5M↓6%	$39.7M↓2%	$40.5M	$40.4M
Operating Income	$3.6M↓37%	$1.0M↓31%	$6.0M↓35%	$9.1M↓20%	$11.5M↑6%	$10.8M↑43%	$7.5M
Net Income	$19.8M↓7%	$4.7M↓28%	$20.7M↑9%	$19.0M↑5%	$18.1M↓24%	$23.8M↑2%	$23.3M
EPS (Diluted)	--	--	--	--	--	--	$2.43
Gross Margin	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Operating Margin	10.8%↓33%	12.8%↓27%	17.1%↓30%	24.4%↓16%	28.9%↑8%	26.7%↑43%	18.7%
ROE	18.2%↓12%	—	20.8%↓1%	20.9%↓3%	21.6%↓28%	29.9%↓14%	34.7%
Total Debt	--	--	--	--	--	$0↓100%	$2.3M
Shareholders' Equity	$109.2M↑6%	$109.2M↑6%	$99.7M↑10%	$90.8M↑9%	$83.7M↑5%	$79.6M↑19%	$67.0M
Current Ratio	4.09↑16%	4.09↑16%	3.38↑6%	3.19↑12%	2.84↑10%	2.58↑41%	1.83
Debt / Equity	—	—	—	—	—	0.00↓100%	0.03
Operating Cash Flow	$17.7M↓16%	$4.7M↓15%	$20.2M↑13%	$17.9M↓1%	$18.2M↓26%	$24.6M↑50%	$16.4M
Free Cash Flow	--	--	$20.1M↑12%	$17.9M↓1%	$18.1M↓26%	$24.6M↑50%	$16.4M

Score history

Historical Score Timeline

Industry peers

Industry Peers

Similar companies in Trading

VALU vs Peers — Financial Grading

Revenue$35.1MBottom 25%

Net Income$20.7MBottom 25%

ROE20.8%Top 25%

D/E—

Op. Margin17.1%Median

Curr. Ratio3.38Median

Company	Market Cap	Price	Revenue	Net Income	ROE	D/E	Op. Margin	Curr. Ratio	Graham	Buffett	Lynch	Greenblatt	Piotroski	Dreman
REALTY INCOME CORPO	$56.1B	$58.82	$5.7B	$1.1B	2.7%	0.63	16.8%	—	2/7	1/9	3/7	0/3	F-Score 6	4/10
Ventas, Inc.VTR	$47.0B	$88.92	$5.8B	$261.5M	2.1%	1.04	3.5%	—	2/7	1/9	2/7	0/3	F-Score 6	2/10
RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL INCRJF	$32.4B	$168.64	$15.9B	$2.1B	17.1%	0.28	—	—	3/9	3/9	3/7	1/3	F-Score 6	4/11
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iShares Ethereum Trust ETFETHA	$19.4B	$44.02	—	$2.3B	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
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LandBridge Co LLCLB	$5.6B	$73.15	$199.1M	$30.1M	8.9%	1.65	59.5%	4.87	2/9	3/9	2/7	0/3	F-Score 6	3/11
Digital Turbine, Inc.APPS	$927.6M	$7.61	$565.3M	$37.7M	-19.6%	1.88	6.0%	1.16	1/9	2/9	2/7	1/3	F-Score 7	0/11