Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on Core & Main, with seven buy ratings and six holds among 13 brokers. The average 12-month price target is $56.70, compared with the stock’s reported opening price of $41.65.
• Core & Main exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.94 on $2.15 billion in revenue, while reaffirming fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of $7.8 billion to $7.9 billion.
• Despite the earnings beat and acquisition-driven expansion, shares have fallen 5.5% amid concerns about weak organic growth, particularly in smart utility and storm-drainage businesses, and questions about near-term demand.

Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $56.70.

A number of analysts recently commented on CNM shares. William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Core & Main in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Citigroup reduced their target price on Core & Main from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $24.00 target price on shares of Core & Main in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Northcoast Research downgraded Core & Main from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Core & Main from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th.

Core & Main Stock Down 5.5%

Shares of NYSE:CNM opened at $41.65 on Thursday. Core & Main has a 52 week low of $41.25 and a 52 week high of $59.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 2.31. The company has a market capitalization of $8.06 billion, a PE ratio of 17.65, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $44.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.99.

Core & Main (NYSE:CNM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.14 billion. Core & Main had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 26.17%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Core & Main will post 3.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Core & Main News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Core & Main this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Core & Main reported fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings of $0.94 per share on $2.15 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst estimates of $0.92 and $2.14 billion, respectively. EPS increased from $0.87 a year earlier, while revenue grew 2.5% year over year. Core & Main quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook of $7.8 billion to $7.9 billion, above the roughly $7.7 billion consensus estimate. Growth was supported by fire protection products and acquisitions, and one analyst upgraded the stock to a soft buy after the selloff, citing an improved valuation. Core & Main valuation upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Core & Main highlighted strategic expansion and potential mergers and acquisitions as longer-term growth drivers. However, investors are weighing those opportunities against near-term execution and demand trends across the business. Core & Main Q2 earnings call
• Negative Sentiment: The primary pressure on CNM is concern over weak organic growth. Smart utility and storm-drainage businesses reportedly faced short-term headwinds and tepid performance, raising questions about whether acquisitions are masking slower underlying demand. Core & Main organic growth concerns

Insider Transactions at Core & Main

In other Core & Main news, Director James Hope bought 2,067 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $46.01 per share, with a total value of $95,102.67. Following the purchase, the director owned 11,805 shares in the company, valued at $543,148.05. This trade represents a 21.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.51% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. WINTON GROUP Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 41.4% in the second quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 46,061 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,222,000 after buying an additional 13,482 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of Core & Main by 109.4% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 215,273 shares of the company's stock worth $10,387,000 after acquiring an additional 112,444 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 176.7% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 33,752 shares of the company's stock worth $1,629,000 after acquiring an additional 21,555 shares during the period. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of Core & Main during the second quarter worth $231,000. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Core & Main in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,461,000. Institutional investors own 94.19% of the company's stock.

Core & Main Company Profile

Core & Main, Inc NYSE: CNM is a leading distributor of water, sewer, storm drainage and fire protection products across North America. The company's product portfolio includes valves, hydrants, pipe and fittings, meters, couplings and other essential components that support municipal, industrial and environmental infrastructure projects. By combining a comprehensive inventory with logistics and technical support, Core & Main helps customers address complex water system and distribution challenges.

With more than 300 branch locations and over 3,500 employees, Core & Main serves a diverse customer base that includes municipalities, contractors, engineers and utility providers.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.