WFG vs MERC vs NWGL Stock Comparison

West Fraser Timber, Mercer International and CL Workshop Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group

Head to Head

8 decided of 12

West Fraser Timber leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (West Fraser Timber 7, Mercer International 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionWFGMERCNWGLLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $5.32B $8.53M $1.44M WFG
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -3.9x 0.0x — –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS — — — –
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -10.2% -4.8% — MERC
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -26.2% -27.9% — WFG
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — -23.1% — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -181.5x -6.8x — WFG
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 1.18% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +5.0% -95.1% -94.5% WFG
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -3.1%/yr -59.3%/yr — WFG
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 33.6% 97.9% 223.5% WFG
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 33/100 14/100 — WFG

Percentile Scorecard

WFGMERCNWGL

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisWFGMERCNWGL
Valuation 45 #159 of 287 20 #231 of 287 –
Growth 6 #250 of 266 1 #264 of 266 –
Profitability 21 #185 of 234 28 #170 of 234 –
Financial Health – 8 #266 of 289 7 #270 of 289
Shareholder Returns 61 #80 of 203 14 #174 of 203 –
Overall 33 14 –
  • WFG ranked among 308 companies in Basic Materials
  • MERC ranked among 308 companies in Basic Materials
  • NWGL ranked among 308 companies in Basic Materials

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodWFGMERCNWGLSPY
1 month -4.3%-62.5%-93.3% +0.9%
3 months +2.9%-80.0%-60.9% +5.9%
6 months +8.5%-88.8%-90.0% +8.5%
Year to date +12.0%-93.9%-93.7% +13.3%
1 year +5.0%-95.1%-94.5% +12.4%
3 years +4.3%-98.5%-99.2% +88.1%
3 years, per year +1.4%-75.4%-79.8% +23.5%
5 years -14.5%-98.9%— +68.2%
5 years, per year -3.1%-59.3%— +11.0%
10 years +98.7%-98.5%— +263.4%
10 years, per year +7.1%-34.2%— +13.8%

Risk

MeasureWFGMERCNWGLSPY
Volatility, 1Y 33.6%97.9%223.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.4%115.2%289.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.631.862.50 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.15-0.97-0.42 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -43.2%-99.3%-99.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high -10.7%-95.7%-94.5% -0.9%
52-week high $76.69$2.79$1.65 $779.14
52-week low $57.91$0.12$0.08 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleWFGMERCNWGL
P/E now vs peer median -3.9xmedian 17.5x 0.0xmedian 17.5x —median 17.5x
P/S now vs peer median 1.0xmedian 1.8x 0.0xmedian 1.8x —median 1.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -2,885xmedian 9.8x -6.8xmedian 9.8x —median 9.8x
P/FCF now vs peer median -12.4xmedian 15.8x -0.1xmedian 15.8x —median 15.8x
P/B now vs peer median 1.0xmedian 1.8x -0.1xmedian 1.8x 0.8xmedian 1.8x
PEG now vs peer median 0.60median 0.78 0.00median 0.78 —median 0.78

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsWFGMERCNWGL
Revenue $5.24B $1.86B –
Gross profit $1.14B $52.72M –
Operating income -$1.49B -$437.94M –
Net income -$1.20B -$517.45M –
Free cash flow -$435.00M -$154.18M –
EPS (diluted) $-17.33 $-7.72 –
Cash & equivalents $74.00M $78.78M $200.00K
Total debt $437.00M $1.95B -$11.23M
Shares (diluted) 79.16M 67.04M 16.55M
Enterprise value $4.41B -$439.70M -$3.03M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricWFGMERCNWGL
P/E -3.9x 0.0x –
P/FCF -12.4x -0.1x –
P/Operating cash flow – -0.1x –
P/S 1.0x 0.0x –
P/B 1.0x -0.1x 0.8x
P/Tangible book 1.0x -0.1x 0.8x
EV/EBITDA -2,885x -6.8x –
EV/EBIT -3.9x -4.3x –
EV/Revenue 1.1x 1.0x –
EV/FCF -13.3x -12.2x –
EV/Operating cash flow – -22.2x –
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.60 0.00 –

Growth

14 metrics
MetricWFGMERCNWGL
Revenue growth (1Y) -10.2% -4.8% –
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -13.9% -5.0% –
Gross profit growth (1Y) -29.4% -81.9% –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -27.6% -45.3% –
Operating income growth (1Y) -867.5% -5,891% –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -52.1% -163.0% –
Net income growth (1Y) -1,620% -373.6% –
Net income CAGR (3Y) -188.8% -130.8% –
EPS growth (1Y) -331.3% -372.7% –
EPS CAGR (3Y) -6.5% -130.0% –
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – -270.4% –
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – -41.4% –
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 17.8% -261.2% –
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 1.3% -0.7% –

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricWFGMERCNWGL
Gross margin 21.8% 2.8% –
EBITDA margin 0.0% -14.9% –
Operating margin -28.4% -23.6% –
Pretax margin -29.3% -29.7% –
Net margin -26.2% -27.9% –
FCF margin -8.3% -8.3% –
Operating cash flow margin – -4.6% –
Return on equity -24.5% – –
Return on assets – -27.0% –
Return on invested capital – -23.1% –
Return on capital employed – -33.3% –
Asset turnover – 1.0x –
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) – 0.2x –
Stock comp / revenue – 0.0% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricWFGMERCNWGL
Debt / assets – 104.3% 46.3%
Debt / equity 0.1x -19.9x 2.2x
Net debt / EBITDA -181.5x -6.8x –
Debt / FCF -1.0x -12.7x –
Liabilities / assets – 105.2% 78.5%
Equity / assets – -5.2% 21.5%
Interest coverage – -3.7x –
Current ratio – 1.3x 1.2x
Quick ratio – 0.6x 0.5x
Cash ratio – 0.1x 0.0x
Altman Z-score – 0.04 –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricWFGMERCNWGL
Dividend yield 1.9% 0.0% –
Net buyback yield – – –
Shareholder yield 1.9% 0.0% –
Payout ratio (earnings) – -1.9% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – -6.5% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – -60.0% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – -26.1% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusWFGMERCNWGL
EPS, next fiscal year $-4.07FY2026 $-3.79FY2026 –
Revenue, next fiscal year $5.84BFY2026 $2.02BFY2026 –
Revenue growth, next FY +6.9%FY2026 +7.9%FY2026 –
Revenue growth, the year after +9.6% +10.5% –

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersWFGMERCNWGL
Held by institutions 49.7% 63.8% –
Institutions holding 166 67 –
Change in shares held, QoQ +3.1% -11.3% –
Institutions buying 79 27 –
Institutions selling 55 19 –
Buyers to sellers 1.44 1.42 –

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

WFGMERCNWGL
WFG 1.00 0.19 -0.01
MERC 0.19 1.00 0.14
NWGL -0.01 0.14 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, WFG, MERC and NWGL?

West Fraser Timber (WFG) is the largest by market capitalisation: West Fraser Timber (WFG) $5.32B, Mercer International (MERC) $8.53M, CL Workshop (NWGL) $1.44M.

Which company is growing faster?

Mercer International (MERC) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: West Fraser Timber (WFG) -10.2%, Mercer International (MERC) -4.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

West Fraser Timber (WFG) has the highest net margin (West Fraser Timber (WFG) -26.2%, Mercer International (MERC) -27.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year West Fraser Timber (WFG) returned the most: West Fraser Timber (WFG) +5.0%, Mercer International (MERC) -95.1%, CL Workshop (NWGL) -94.5%. Over five years, West Fraser Timber (WFG) compounded fastest (West Fraser Timber (WFG) -3.1%/yr, Mercer International (MERC) -59.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: West Fraser Timber (WFG) 0.00%, Mercer International (MERC) 1.18%, CL Workshop (NWGL) 0.00%. West Fraser Timber (WFG) and CL Workshop (NWGL) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, West Fraser Timber (WFG) has been the steadiest (West Fraser Timber (WFG) 33.6%, Mercer International (MERC) 97.9%, CL Workshop (NWGL) 223.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, WFG, MERC and NWGL?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, West Fraser Timber (WFG) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.