The Filing Desk

Exponent

EXPO · Nasdaq · Industrials · Financials, fiscal 2016 to 2025

EXPO · Last close · October 26, 2026
$77.66
Value Exponent yourself

Exponent's revenue rose 4.2% to $582 million in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 20.6%, down from 21.4% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $122 million, down 11.1%. It paid out $158 million in dividends and buybacks, 129% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 0.6%.

EXPONENT, INC. Latest fiscal year ended January 2, 2026 10-K filed February 27, 2026 · 0001193125-26-082508 Updated
Revenue
$582M
4.2%
Operating margin
20.6%
0.8 pts
Net income
$106M
2.8%
Free cash flow
$122M
11.1%
Return on capital
52.2%
1.3 pts
Market cap
$3.8B
Oct 26 close
P/E
34.8x
On $2.23 EPS, 4 qtrs

Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.

About these figures. Exponent has no borrowings, and held no short-term investments at the end of 2021 (checked against its balance sheet).

Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.

Revenue and margins

Revenue
US$ billions, fiscal years
Margins
Percent of revenue
GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2016 to 2025, earnings per share grew 10.1% a year and net income 9.3% a year, as buybacks cut the share count by 6%.

Net income
US$ billions, fiscal years; loss years in red.
Diluted earnings per share
US$ per share, fiscal years, restated for any stock splits; loss years in red.

Returns on capital

Return on capital and on equity
Percent. Return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business (debt plus equity, minus cash); return on equity is net income over shareholders' equity. Both use the average of opening and closing balances.
Return on capitalReturn on equity

Cash flow

Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure; negative years in red.

Payouts and share count

Dividends and buybacks
US$ billions, cash paid in each fiscal year
DividendsShare buybacks
Diluted share count
Weighted-average diluted shares, millions

Valuation

Two ways to value Exponent yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.

Discounted cash flow (DCF)

A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from Exponent's 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Exponent's fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $122M, net cash of $222M at January 2, 2026 and 51 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to Exponent: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, 4.3% a year; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 10%: 9% for a business of moderate risk (Research & Consulting Services), plus 1 point as a smaller company, worth $3.8B; the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

From the filings
Cash from operations minus capital spending in fiscal 2025.
Cash and short-term investments minus debt and finance leases at January 2, 2026. Negative means net debt.
Weighted-average diluted shares in fiscal 2025.
Your assumptions
Start from
Fitted to Exponent's own revenue growth, as above. Cautious: growth of 2% then 2% a year, 2% after year 10, a 11% discount rate. Base: growth of 4.5% then 3.5% a year, 2.5% after year 10, a 10% discount rate. Optimistic: growth of 6.5% then 5% a year, 3% after year 10, a 9% discount rate.
Long-run growth forever after year 10. Usually close to inflation, and always below the discount rate.
The yearly return an investor wants for the risk. A higher rate gives a lower value.
Value per share on these assumptions
—
—
Last close, October 26, 2026
$77.66
Value on these assumptions, against the last close
—

Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today
—
Everything after year 10, valued today
—
Plus net cash
—
Share of value from after year 10
—
Projected free cash flow
US$ billions. Each column is one year's projected free cash flow, split into what it is worth today and the part removed by discounting.
Value todayRemoved by discounting

How the value changes with two assumptions

Value per share in US$, with the growth rates above. The highlighted cell matches the current assumptions.
How the model works. Free cash flow grows at the first rate for five years and the second rate for five more, and each year is discounted at the discount rate. Everything after year 10 is valued as year-10 cash flow × (1 + growth after year 10) ÷ (discount rate − growth after year 10), discounted back ten years. Net cash is added and the total is divided by diluted shares. The result depends entirely on the assumptions. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation. The last close is the consolidated US closing price, from Databento.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) method

Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Exponent's earnings per share of $2.23 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 26.7×, the middle of Exponent's own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (the Industrials median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 11%, 10% and 9%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

Diluted earnings per share over the four quarters to July 3, 2026, from the 10-Qs and 10-K.
P/E today is the last close divided by the latest earnings per share, the four quarters' where available. Peers: UL Solutions, Verisk Analytics, FTI Consulting, TransUnion.
Starts at Exponent's revenue growth over the last 3 years, 4.3% a year, as the base scenario does.
Earnings per share in the years ahead, US$
Type your own estimate for any year; the years after it carry on at the growth rate.
Apply the multiple to earnings
A multiple on a future year's earnings gives the price then, brought back to today at the discount rate below.
The yearly return an investor wants for the risk, as in the cash flow model.
Value per share today at this multiple
—
—
Last close, October 26, 2026
$77.66
Value at this multiple, against the last close
—
Exponent's P/E at the last close
34.8×
CompanyLast closeEarnings per shareP/E today
ExponentEXPO$77.66$2.2334.8×
Verisk AnalyticsVRSK$196.19$6.5729.9×
UL SolutionsULS$72.96$2.4829.4×
TransUnionTRU$79.62$3.6122.1×
FTI ConsultingFCN$161.40$8.3019.4×
How the P/E method works. Value per share is earnings per share times the multiple. On a future year's earnings, that gives the price in that year, which is brought back to today at the discount rate: price ÷ (1 + discount rate) for each year ahead. It is quick and easy to compare across companies, but it ignores debt and cash, and earnings can swing with one-off gains and charges, so a multiple says most about steady, profitable businesses. Like the cash flow model, the result depends entirely on the assumptions you choose. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation.

Balance sheet

Fiscal year endFY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Cash and short-term investments298162187259222
Debt incl. finance leases00000
Net debt (negative means net cash)−298−162−187−259−222
Net debt to EBITDA−2.6x−1.1x−1.6x−2.0x−1.7x
Debt to equity0.0x0.0x0.0x0.0x0.0x
Interest coverage—————
Current ratio3.0x2.2x2.3x2.7x2.4x
Quick ratio3.0x2.2x2.3x2.7x2.4x
US$ millions unless stated, at each fiscal year end. Net debt to EBITDA is debt minus cash, divided by operating income before depreciation and amortization: roughly how many years of those earnings the net debt equals. Debt to equity is debt as a multiple of shareholders' equity. Interest coverage is operating income divided by interest expense. The current ratio is current assets over current liabilities; the quick ratio leaves out inventory.

Insider trades

Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, 1 insider bought $12,595 of Exponent shares on the open market, and 6 insiders sold $3.0 million, $2.2 million of it under trading plans set up in advance.

DateInsiderTradeSharesPriceValueFiling
Sep 18, 2026Shukri Jeries SouriGroup Vice PresidentBought184$68.45$12,595Form 4
Aug 17, 2026Catherine CorriganChief Executive Officer, DirectorSold plan1,707$66.28$113,140Form 4
Jul 15, 2026Catherine CorriganChief Executive Officer, DirectorSold plan1,737$62.78$109,049Form 4
Jun 15, 2026Catherine CorriganPresident & CEO, DirectorSold plan4,119$57.13$235,318Form 4
May 26, 2026Bradley A JamesGroup Vice PresidentSold2,000$57.47$114,940Form 4
May 19, 2026Richard ReissGroup Vice PresidentSold1,672$58.65$98,063Form 4
May 15, 2026Catherine CorriganPresident & CEO, DirectorSold plan4,194$54.06$226,728Form 4
May 13, 2026Joseph RakowGroup Vice PresidentSold2,945$54.66$160,974Form 4
May 13, 2026Joseph SalaGroup Vice PresidentSold2,066$56.66$117,060Form 4
Apr 15, 2026Catherine CorriganPresident & CEO, DirectorSold plan3,909$67.70$264,639Form 4
Mar 16, 2026Catherine CorriganPresident & CEO, DirectorSold plan3,912$67.49$264,021Form 4
Feb 17, 2026Catherine CorriganPresident & CEO, DirectorSold plan3,920$67.15$263,233Form 4
The latest 12 of 16 trades. Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from their Form 4 filings with the SEC: one row per person, day and filing, at the day's average price. Grants, option exercises and shares withheld for tax aren't counted. Insiders buy and sell for many reasons, such as taxes, spreading their savings or a plan set up months earlier, so a trade on its own says little about where a company is heading. For information only, not investment advice. Insider trades at all companies

Piotroski F-score

The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.

TestFY23FY24FY25
Net income is positivePassPassPass
Cash from operations is positivePassPassPass
Return on assets rosePassFailFail
Cash from operations exceeds net incomePassPassPass
Debt fell relative to assetsFailFailFail
Current ratio rosePassPassFail
Share count didn't risePassPassPass
Gross margin rose———
Revenue rose relative to assetsPassFailFail
F-score7 of 85 of 84 of 8
Accruals ratio−4.4%−5.0%−3.3%
The accruals ratio is net income minus cash from operations, over average total assets.

Compare

Put Exponent side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.

Similar companies

CompanyYearRevenue growthOperating marginFree cash flow marginReturn on capitalNet debt to EBITDAF-scoreCompare
ExponentFY254.2%20.6%21.0%52.2%−1.7x4
UL SolutionsFY256.4%17.1%13.2%26.8%0.3x7Compare
Verisk AnalyticsFY256.6%43.7%38.8%35.5%1.6x7Compare
FTI ConsultingFY252.4%10.3%2.5%16.6%0.2x4Compare
TransUnionFY259.4%18.7%14.5%7.1%3.0x8Compare
Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so the periods don't line up exactly. Free cash flow margin is free cash flow as a share of revenue. Net debt to EBITDA is explained under the balance sheet, and the F-score above.

10 years of figures

Fiscal yearFY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Income statement
Revenue315348380417400466513537558582
Revenue growth0.7%10.4%9.1%9.9%−4.2%16.6%10.1%4.6%4.0%4.2%
Gross profit——————————
Research and development——————————
Operating income6272928583109141111120120
Net income4841728283101102100109106
Diluted EPS (US$)0.870.771.331.531.551.901.961.942.112.07
Diluted shares (millions)54545454535352525251
Cash flow
Cash from operations67689110810312594127144132
Capital expenditure145162357121679
Free cash flow536375859811882111138122
Dividends paid19222733394249535760
Share buybacks2412282240715624697
Acquisitions0000000000
Stock-based compensation13161718171920202324
Balance sheet at fiscal year end
Cash and short-term investments174196209232242298162187259222
Debt incl. finance leases0000000000
Total assets404440469563580684587647777778
Total liabilities130150155213219267266291356387
Shareholders' equity273289314350362417321356421390
Margins and ratios
Gross margin——————————
Operating margin19.6%20.7%24.1%20.4%20.8%23.4%27.4%20.7%21.4%20.6%
Net margin15.1%11.9%19.0%19.8%20.6%21.7%19.9%18.7%19.5%18.2%
Free cash flow margin16.7%18.1%19.7%20.4%24.6%25.2%15.9%20.7%24.6%21.0%
Return on capital44.6%37.5%71.5%60.1%59.7%73.5%78.2%50.1%53.4%52.2%
Return on equity17.7%14.7%24.0%24.8%23.2%26.0%27.7%29.6%28.1%26.1%
Return on assets12.0%9.8%15.9%16.0%14.4%16.0%16.1%16.3%15.3%13.6%
Net debt to EBITDA−2.5x−2.5x−2.1x−2.5x−2.7x−2.6x−1.1x−1.6x−2.0x−1.7x
US$ millions unless stated. Where a later 10-K restated a year, the latest filed figure is shown. Download all figures (CSV, US$ millions)
Source: Exponent's Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR. For information only, not investment advice. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with Exponent.