Acme United's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Acme United (ACU) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Acme United vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 212M vs 134,791M combined for its competitors (0.2% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+18.6% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+10.6%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Acme United generated 16.2% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs -22.4% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 8.1% net margin compares with 23.4% for the peer group.
- Scale: Acme United ranks #26 of 37 companies by market capitalization in the Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry, holding 0.1% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Acme United accounted for 0.2% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 0.1% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.33M compares with $0.45M for the peer group (0.7x).
- Structure: Acme United operates in the following segments: United States Segment, Europe Segment, Canada Segment.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
ACU Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Acme United reported revenue growth of 16.15 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue change of -22.44 %.
With a net margin of 8.05 %, Acme United reported lower profitability than its competitors (23.38 %).
Acme United generated 0.17 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 0.11 % a year earlier.
Acme United vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Acme United reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Acme United and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Acme United's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry grew revenue 10.2% year over year, combined, vs 16.2% for Acme United. Acme United's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.08% to 0.08%, a gain of 0.00 percentage points.
Acme United's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (18) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (9) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
ACU Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
ACU Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
ACU Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
ACU Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sight Sciences Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Ecopetrol S a | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Dupont De Nemours Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Dow Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Ennis Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Acme United's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Acme United's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Acme United Corp
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Acme United Corp |
278.52 | 211.60 |
 3m Company |
91,110.08 | 25,247.00 |
 Cintas Corporation |
88,871.03 | 11,560.62 |
 Illinois Tool Works Inc |
79,470.32 | 16,646.00 |
 Honeywell International Inc |
69,690.94 | 30,716.00 |
 Ecopetrol S a |
35,342.64 | 30,513.17 |
| SUBTOTAL | 462,714.26 | 213,165.49 |
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Sources: Acme United Corp's official press releases and company reports; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the company reports and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Acme United Corp versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Acme United's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Acme United reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fiskars Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Cintas | Company report | 85% |
| Honeywell | Company report | 85% |
| Bostitch | Company report | 85% |
| Elmers | Company report | 85% |
| Acco Brands Corporation | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Acme United's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from Acme United reports (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Acme United's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | United States Segment 83.68 % |
| 3m Company | Safety and Industrial 48.33 % |
| Cintas Corporation | Uniform Rental and Facility Services 76.14 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Test and Measurement and Electronics 19.33 % |
| Honeywell International Inc | Building Automation 40.45 % |
| Dow Inc | Operating Segment Total 98.39 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Acme United's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | 279 | 326,047 | 15,124 |
| 3m Company | 91,110 | 417,306 | 58,579 |
| Cintas Corporation | 88,871 | 240,346 | 42,808 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 79,470 | 387,116 | 75,070 |
| Honeywell International Inc | 69,691 | 304,119 | 69,525 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 35,343 | 1,271,382 | 153,423 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 462,436 | 450,383 | 41,628 |
Acme United's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| 3m Company | United States 46.28 % |
| Dow Inc | U.S.& Canada 40.37 % |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | United States 44.47 % |
| Genuine Parts Co | United States 64.75 % |
| Newell Brands Inc | North America 66.36 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Acme United's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 34 companies in Acme United's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Acme United ranks #26 of 34 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.06 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,592, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abb Ltd | 159,087 | 32.28 % |
| 2 | Trane Technologies Plc | 91,225 | 18.51 % |
| 3 | Ferguson Enterprises Inc | 46,304 | 9.40 % |
| 4 | Amcor Plc | 21,979 | 4.46 % |
| 5 | Xylem Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Snap on Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Itt Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Idex Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Stanley Black and Decker Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Watsco Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 26 | Acme United Corp | 279 | 0.06 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Acme United's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-10-30.
Acme United's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Oil dri Corporation Of America | 993 | 32.44 % |
| 22 | Daktronics Inc | 931 | -1.49 % |
| 23 | Winnebago Industries Inc | 869 | -19.62 % |
| 24 | Array Technologies Inc | 528 | -61.43 % |
| 26 | Acme United Corp | 279 | 80.37 % |
| 27 | Lifetime Brands Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 28 | The Eastern Company | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 29 | Ampco pittsburgh Corp | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 30 | Virtra Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 31 | Dogness international Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Acme United's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-10-30. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Acme United's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (53 companies). See the full Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 0.40 % | 14.29 % (avg) | -13.9 pp |
| Operating Margin | 0.07 % | industry median | -3.6 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 0.14 % | 4.71 % (avg) | -4.6 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 5.03 % | 5.31 % (avg) | -0.3 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Acme United's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry average (53 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Miscellaneous Manufacturing industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 18.4x | 24.3x | -5.9x |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.1x | 15.9x | -7.7x |
| P/B | 1.5x | 3.1x | -1.5x |
| Return on Equity | 0.08 % | industry aggregate | -15.31 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 0.10 % | 1.26 % (avg) | -1.16 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Acme United's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 4.80 % | 5.19 % | 3.74 % | 15.12 % | 11.03 % | -1.27 % | 1.56 % | 1.05 % |
| Operating Margin | 5.97 % | 5.43 % | 5.92 % | 6.96 % | 7.01 % | 6.89 % | 7.27 % | 7.49 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 5.38 % | 4.93 % | 5.52 % | 7.03 % | 6.52 % | 6.02 % | 5.68 % | 5.53 % |
| P/E | 21.9x | 12.3x | 14.1x | 13.3x | 9.9x | 7.2x | 17.0x | 15.5x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Acme United's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Acme United's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Acme United is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Acme United's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 9.0% and operating margin of 0.1% compares with an average of 5.8% growth and 1.4% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Acme United sits above that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Acme United's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Acme United's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Acme United falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.00x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 3.1% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Acme United's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,592 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Moderate, in line with the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 5.03 % vs industry average 5.31 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments. Supplier power and buyer power are not assessed here -- see Acme United's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages for concentration data; threat of substitutes has no systematic data source in this system and is not estimated.
Acme United's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Acme United falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Acme United's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+18.6% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 15.3 points below the industry aggregate.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.00x).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Acme United's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | 0.17 | 4.01 | 0.19 |
| 3m Company | - | 1.47 | 3.62 |
| Cintas Corporation | 0.11 | 1.67 | 0.49 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 0.15 | 1.20 | 2.98 |
| Honeywell International Inc | 0.47 | 1.24 | 1.69 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 0.11 | 0.54 | 0.95 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Acme United's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | Q2 2026 | +16.1 % | +6.3 % |
| 3m Company | Q3 2026 | +1.0 % | +63.3 % |
| Cintas Corporation | Q3 2026 | +10.9 % | +12.3 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q3 2026 | +4.4 % | +4.1 % |
| Honeywell International Inc | Q3 2026 | -52.0 % | -64.3 % |
| Ecopetrol S a | Q4 2025 | -7.1 % | -19.2 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -8.3 % | -8.2 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Acme United's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | Q2 2026 | +13.1 % | -34.1 % |
| 3m Company | Q3 2026 | +0.2 % | +17.4 % |
| Cintas Corporation | Q3 2026 | +8.1 % | +5.5 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q3 2026 | -12.8 % | -12.8 % |
| Honeywell International Inc | Q3 2026 | -5.7 % | - |
| Ecopetrol S a | Q4 2025 | -3.3 % | +6.2 % |
Acme United's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | 5.31% | 5.98% | 8.33% |
| 3m Company | 9.60% | 13.24% | 93.07% |
| Cintas Corporation | 19.97% | 25.25% | 41.56% |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 19.74% | 22.80% | 103.35% |
| Honeywell International Inc | 10.10% | 15.11% | 39.45% |
| Ecopetrol S a | 5.12% | 7.30% | 13.53% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Acme United's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Acme United Corp | 28.27 | 1.32 |
| 3m Company | 25.98 | 3.61 |
| Cintas Corporation | 43.44 | 7.69 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 36.18 | 4.77 |
| Honeywell International Inc | 10.38 | 2.27 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 131.65 | 1.16 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 23.50 | 2.17 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.