Liquidity Services Inc (NASDAQ: LQDT)

Sector: Consumer Cyclical Industry: Internet Retail CIK: 0001235468
Market Cap 1.01 Bn
P/B 4.68
P/E 33.86
P/S 2.12
ROIC (Qtr) 11.93
Div Yield % 0.00
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -0.91
Total Debt (Qtr) 13.51 Mn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.06

About

Liquidity Services, Inc. (LQDT), a prominent player in the global commerce industry, offers trusted online marketplace platforms that facilitate the circular economy. The company harnesses technology to extract and monetize the inherent value of surplus assets, thereby creating a more sustainable future for businesses, individuals, and the environment. Liquidity Services' diverse solutions cater to government entities, commercial businesses, and individual clients, facilitating the sale of surplus property and real estate assets through its GovDeals...

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Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 78.37M provides robust 5.80x coverage of total debt 13.51M, indicating excellent debt servicing capability and financial flexibility.
  • Healthy cash reserves of 169.80M provide 34.70x coverage of short-term debt 4.89M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Strong tangible asset base of 253.69M provides 18.78x coverage of total debt 13.51M, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Tangible assets of 253.69M provide exceptional 52.23x coverage of deferred revenue 4.86M, showing strong service capability backing.
  • Robust free cash flow of 70.12M exceeds capital expenditure of 8.25M by 8.50x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 78.37M barely covers its investment activities of (15.03M), with a coverage ratio of -5.21, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Investment activities of (15.03M) provide weak support for R&D spending of 69.43M, which is -0.22x, suggesting potentially insufficient investment in innovation relative to other capital deployment.
  • Cash reserves of 169.80M provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (6.50M), which is -26.14x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • The company's operating cash flow of 78.37M shows concerning coverage of stock compensation expenses of 17.23M, with a 4.55 ratio indicating potential earnings quality issues.
  • Free cash flow of 70.12M represents just -674.24x of debt issuance (104000), suggesting concerning reliance on leverage rather than internal cash generation for growth.

Product and Service Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Product and Service Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Internet Retail
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 AMZN Amazon Com Inc 2,240.82 Bn 28.85 3.13 152.99 Bn
2 BABA Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 376.37 Bn 21.36 2.65 39.55 Bn
3 PDD PDD Holdings Inc. 146.78 Bn 10.22 2.50 1.50 Bn
4 MELI Mercadolibre Inc 99.88 Bn 48.09 3.81 9.88 Bn
5 DASH DoorDash, Inc. 77.19 Bn 89.45 6.11 3.26 Bn
6 SE Sea Ltd 64.15 Bn 45.22 3.05 4.24 Bn
7 JD JD.com, Inc. 40.42 Bn 8.94 0.22 15.74 Bn
8 EBAY Ebay Inc 40.35 Bn 18.49 3.77 7.02 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 2.30 1.44
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 10.81 10.32
EV to Debt EV to Debt 62.74 11.03
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 20.29 18.24
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 17.72 16.97
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 12.08 15.91
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 0.84 -40.94
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 1.78 -2.40
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 4.68 5.28
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 33.86 32.69
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Dividend Coverage Ratio 0.00 -93.84
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 0.00 -203.90
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.00 0.08
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 0.00 -3.46
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 0.00 37.32
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 8.26 -39.22
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 31.93 58.76
Dividend Growth (1y) % Dividend Growth (1y) % 0.00 1.00
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 24.60 -370.47
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 17.87 -113.32
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 27.88 -1,110.85
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 27.88 -130.57
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 21.52 2.19
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 20.98 -50.73
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 10.30 0.67
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 1.29 1.16
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.00 -0.04
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 1.19 2.15
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.53 3.66
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.06 0.49
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 0.00 37.32
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 0.00 37.32
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 11.00 3.67
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 8.78 -28.93
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 8.78 -42.42
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 45.40 44.90
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 6.30 -42.23