Insteel Industries (IIIN) vs Worthington Steel (WS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Worthington Steel (WS) has outperformed Insteel Industries (IIIN) over the past year, gaining 9.9% versus a loss of 23.7%. Worthington Steel is the larger company by market cap ($1.82 billion vs $571.3 million), about 3.2 times the size. On valuation, Worthington Steel trades at a lower forward P/E (7.5x vs 12.2x for Insteel Industries).
Worthington Steel offers the higher dividend yield (1.76% vs 0.41%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | IIIN | WS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $29.51 | $36.42 |
| Market cap | $571.26M | $1.82B |
| 1-day change | +0.03% | +5.20% |
| YTD return | -6.85% | 0.00% |
| 1-year return | -23.73% | +9.90% |
| 5-year return | -25.15% | — |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 15.78 | — |
| Forward P/E | 12.19 | 7.48 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.87 | $-0.67 |
| Dividend yield | 0.41% | 1.76% |
| Annual dividend | $0.12 | $0.64 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | — | $3.44B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | +11.33% |
| Net income (latest FY) | — | $8.50M |
| Gross margin | — | 11.71% |
| Operating margin | — | -0.04% |
| Net margin | — | 0.25% |
| 52-week high | $38.53 | $49.17 |
| 52-week low | $24.35 | $27.22 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -23.41% | -25.93% |
| Analyst consensus | none | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +32.16% | +26.30% |
| Average volume | 192.94K | 300.26K |
| Shares outstanding | 19.36M | 50.07M |
| Employees | 1,007 | 5,400 |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Steel/Iron Ore | Steel/Iron Ore |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Worthington Steel is about 3.2 times larger than Insteel Industries by market value ($1.82B vs $571.26M).
- WS has outperformed IIIN by 33.6 percentage points over the past year.
- Worthington Steel offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (1.76% vs 0.41%).
About Insteel Industries
IIIN stock →Insteel Industries Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications. The company offers prestressed concrete strand (PC strand) and welded wire reinforcement (WWR) products.
Industrials · Steel/Iron Ore · 1,007 employees
About Worthington Steel
WS stock →Worthington Steel, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a steel processor in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company offers carbon flat-rolled steel processing services, including pickling, specialty re-rolling, hot dip galvanizing, blanking, slitting, and cutting-to-length; laser welded solutions; precision magnetic steel laminations for the automotive, industrial motor, generator, and transformer industries; tailor and aluminum tailor welded blanks; steel toll processing services for steel mills, large end-users, and service centers; and automotive and electrical steel lamination stampings.
Industrials · Steel/Iron Ore · 5,400 employees
IIIN vs WS FAQ
Which is bigger, Insteel Industries or Worthington Steel?
Worthington Steel (WS) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.82B compared with $571.26M for Insteel Industries (IIIN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, IIIN or WS?
WS returned +9.90% over the past 12 months, compared with -23.73% for IIIN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Insteel Industries or Worthington Steel?
Worthington Steel has the higher yield at 1.76%, compared with 0.41% for Insteel Industries.
Are Insteel Industries and Worthington Steel in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Steel/Iron Ore industry within the Industrials sector.