Seaboard Corp /De/ (NYSE: SEB)

Sector: Industrials Industry: Conglomerates CIK: 0000088121
Market Cap 4.74 Bn
P/B 0.91
P/E 9.55
P/S 0.49
ROIC (Qtr) 9.51
Div Yield % 0.18
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -2.90
Total Debt (Qtr) 1.82 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.35
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About

Seaboard Corporation (SEB) is a global entity with a significant presence in the agricultural and ocean transport industries. The company's operations span over 45 countries, with a substantial focus on the United States, Central and South America, and Africa. Seaboard's diverse business activities encompass hog production and pork processing, commodity trading and grain processing, cargo shipping services, sugar and alcohol production, electric power generation, and turkey production. Seaboard's revenue generation is multifaceted, with each segment...

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Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong tangible asset base of 8.08B provides 4.43x coverage of total debt 1.82B, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Operating cash flow of 568M provides exceptional 113.60x coverage of minority interest expenses 5M, showing strong core operations.
  • Tangible assets of 8.08B provide exceptional 104.91x coverage of deferred revenue 77M, showing strong service capability backing.
  • Retained earnings of 5.55B provide full 4.43x coverage of long-term debt 1.25B, indicating strong internal capital position.
  • Robust tangible asset base of 8.08B provides 3.81x coverage of working capital 2.12B, indicating strong operational backing.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 568M barely covers its investment activities of (543M), with a coverage ratio of -1.05, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • With cash reserves of 178M against inventory of 1.51B, the 0.12 cash-to-inventory ratio suggests potential liquidity risks if inventory turnover slows, particularly concerning given current supply chain volatilities.
  • Operating cash flow of 568M provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (9M) with a -63.11 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Short-term investments of 1.05B significantly exceed cash reserves of 178M, which is 5.91x, indicating potentially excessive yield-seeking behavior at the expense of liquidity.
  • Operating cash flow of 568M provides minimal -6.24x coverage of tax expenses of (91M), suggesting potential tax planning inefficiencies or unsustainable tax positions.

Geographical Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Conglomerates
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 HON Honeywell International Inc 155.07 Bn 32.79 4.14 34.58 Bn
2 MMM 3M Co 100.16 Bn 20.62 3.16 12.60 Bn
3 VMI Valmont Industries Inc 11.52 Bn 79.14 5.93 0.86 Bn
4 SEB Seaboard Corp /De/ 4.74 Bn 9.55 0.49 1.82 Bn
5 MDU Mdu Resources Group Inc 3.80 Bn 15.84 0.97 2.35 Bn
6 OTTR Otter Tail Corp 3.60 Bn 20.35 3.01 1.04 Bn
7 BBU Brookfield Business Partners L.P. 2.64 Bn -19.71 0.10 43.31 Bn
8 TTI Tetra Technologies Inc 1.44 Bn 11.77 2.33 0.21 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 0.78 1.07
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 11.34 26.27
EV to Debt EV to Debt 3.53 3.17
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 13.56 28.37
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 9.76 2.98
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 157.11 24.12
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.36 2.07
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 0.66 3.10
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 0.91 0.16
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 9.55 -51.36
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 55.11 2.51
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 1.70 16.94
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 9.00 1.03
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 21.16 -1.97
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 6.79 4.08
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) -10.48 -245.15
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 81.63 116.15
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 0.00 -1.11
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 410.43 233.90
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 21.32 6.29
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 50.32 58.90
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 65.98 -70.32
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 467.71 179.10
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) -2.38 22.76
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 20.31 19.56
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 1.18 0.64
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.01 -0.01
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.12 0.34
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 2.40 1.70
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.35 -5.62
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 6.79 4.08
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 6.79 4.08
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 8.10 -14.03
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 4.87 -16.67
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 4.16 -20.17
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 7.10 21.90
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 5.10 -21.67