MSM
Strong BuyPremium GrowerAI neutralMSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. · Industrials · United States · $7.0B cap · $115.5M/day traded
$118.38 -0.3% · close 27 Oct · scored 27 Oct
StockRank up 3.3 since 24 Oct: Value up 4.
Premium Grower: Strong business with the market behind it, priced at a premium.
As of 27 Oct 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (MSM) is 82/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 71, Value 35, Momentum 74, each scored against its sector).
Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how every decile did, whichever way it went. See the record →
MSC Industrial distributes metalworking tools and maintenance supplies to US manufacturers. It has an established customer base, vending and in-plant programmes and an active buyback, and has named a new CFO. Demand tracks US industrial activity, and recent years have shown flat sales and margin pressure, so there is no clear growth catalyst.
ABOUT MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC.
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MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. is a distributor of a wide range of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services to industrial customers. The company's competitive moat includes a broad product offering, extensive customer base, and sophisticated supply chain and inventory management solutions. MSC Industrial is a leading North American distributor of MRO products, known for its comprehensive catalog and technical expertise.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)
| Year | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR | TTM | 2027E | 2028E | Fwd CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 3.7B | 4.0B | 3.8B | 3.8B | 0.7% | 4.0B | 4.1B | 4.3B | 4.6% |
| EPS | 6.09 | 6.14 | 4.60 | 3.57 | -16.3% | 3.98 | 4.25 | 4.95 | 11.5% |
| Shares | 55.9M | 55.5M | 55.9M | 55.8M | -0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Debt | 860.8M | 521.4M | 568.2M | 538.8M | -14.5% | 528.2M | — | — | — |
| Equity | 1.4B | 1.5B | 1.4B | 1.4B | 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Op CF | 246.2M | 699.6M | 410.7M | 333.7M | 10.7% | 306.5M | — | — | — |
| Inv CF | -94.5M | -112.7M | -123.4M | -63.3M | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fin CF | -148.1M | -580.4M | -307.4M | -243.6M | — | — | — | — | — |
Above its 200-day average and 11% below its 52-week high.
Calmer than 70% of stocks we rank over the past year (31% a year).
How this is worked out
StockRank judges the business. The price check reads only the chart: it is the price side of the Momentum score, in words.
The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.
In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn like this one cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.
What it measures: day-to-day price moves over the past year, as a yearly figure, ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.
What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.
Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.
Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.
SCORE BREAKDOWN
FUNDAMENTALS
SECTOR PEERS
Closest peers in Industrials, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of MSM are excluded.
| Ticker | Company | Mkt Cap | StockRank | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSM | MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.(you) | $7.0B | 82 | Strong Buy |
| CNM | Core & Main, Inc. | $7.7B | 70 | Buy |
| AIT | Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. | $11.6B | 75 | Buy |
| GIC | Global Industrial Company | $1.7B | 88 | Strong Buy |
| DXPE | DXP Enterprises, Inc. | $2.4B | 68 | Buy |
| WSO-B | Watsco, Inc. | $11.7B | 57 | Hold |
| POOL | Pool Corporation | $7.2B | 47 | Hold |
| WCC | WESCO International, Inc. | $15.5B | 56 | Hold |
| FAST | Fastenal Company | $59.6B | 84 | Strong Buy |
| DNOW | DNOW Inc. | $2.8B | 54 | Hold |
Peer medians: ROE 8.8% · P/E 25.9x · Gross margin 29.2%
Company Deep Dive
Business segments breakdown, earnings transcript analysis, management credibility scoring, competitive landscape, and scenario modelling.