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CNMCore & Main, Inc.Sell5.3·$42.64
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

CNM faces a confirmed price downtrend with a hard technical block — the stock sits below the 200-day moving average with a slope declining at -4.2% over 30 days and falling volume on balance — while 67% of revenue is concentrated in a single product category, a C-suite officer departure has been recently disclosed, and revenue growth is effectively flat; a 27% analyst upside target and reasonable forward valuation provide a floor but are insufficient to overcome the technical and structural headwinds at current levels.

Thesis pillars

  • Valuation And Analyst Upside Cushion↑Improving
  • Confirmed Downtrend Hard Technical Block↓Deteriorating
  • Revenue Stagnation Product Concentration↑Improving
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

Core & Main, Inc. (CNM) Stock Analysis

Recovery setup

SellValueModerate Confidence

Industrials · Industrial Distribution

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.8/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $42.64 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Concentration risk — Product: pipes, valves & fittings (67.0%); Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7.

Core & Main distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products through over 370 branches across the U.S. and Canada, serving more than 60,000 customers including municipalities, private water companies and contractors. The company holds roughly 17% of an... Read more

$42.64+12.8% A.UpsideScore 5.3/10#13 of 20 Industrial Distribution
QualityF-score7 / 9FCF yield6.07%
Stop $40.00Target $48.10(analyst − 13%)A.R:R 2.1:1
Analyst target$55.29+29.7%14 analysts
$48.10our TP
$42.64price
$55.29mean
$75

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.8/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $42.64 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Concentration risk — Product: pipes, valves & fittings (67.0%); Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 41. Score 5.3/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 6/9 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, news events none recent, earnings proximity 72d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and death cross (50MA < 200MA). Suitability: moderate.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-09-26
TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Tue, Dec 8, 202672d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Concentration risk — Product: pipes, valves & fittings (67.0%)
Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7
Leverage penalty (D/E 1.3): -0.5

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)17.5
P/E (Fwd)12.2
Mkt Cap$7.9B
EV/EBITDA11.1
Profit Mgn6.0%
ROE23.6%
Rev Growth2.5%
Beta0.91
DividendNone
Rating analysts19

Quality Signals

Piotroski F7/9

Options Flow

P/C0.17bullish
IV54%elevated
Max Pain$55+29.0% vs spot

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHProductpipes, valves & fittings67%
    10-K Item 1: 'Pipes, valves & fittings products accounted for approximately 67% of our net sales in fiscal 2025.'
  • MEDIUMCustomermunicipal end market44%
    10-K Item 1A: 'Approximately 44% of our net sales in fiscal 2025 were related to the municipal market.'
  • MEDIUMSuppliertop ten suppliers
    10-K Item 1: 'our top ten suppliers represented approximately 45% of total product expenditures during the same period'

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-03-27Item 5.02LOW
    M. Susan Hardwick appointed to the Board effective April 1, 2026, filling a new Class III director vacancy. Former CEO of American Water Works Company (AWK), 2022-2025. Appointed to Talent and Compensation Committee. No disagreement cited.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

2 floor-breakers

Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Revenue Growth
3.1
Earnings Growth
3.8

Momentum below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Obv
1.0
Volume
1.0
Ma Position
4.0
Rsi
4.5
Macd
8.6
Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA, MA slope -1.8%/30d — confirmed downtrend
GatesMomentum 3.8<4.5Death cross (50MA < 200MA)Executive change: officer departure/appointmentA.R:R 2.1 ≥ 1.5Insider activity: OKNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 72d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARRecoverySuitability: Moderate
RSI
41 · Neutral
↑ 20D MA↓ 50D MA↓ 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $40.03Resistance $44.75

Price Targets

$40
$48
A.Upside+12.8%
A.R:R2.1:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeRisk-Off

Risk Alerts

! momentum at 3.8 (below the engine's 4.5 threshold)
! Death cross — 50-day MA below 200-day MA

Earnings

B
B
M
M
2/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-12-08 (72d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CNM stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.8/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $42.64 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Concentration risk — Product: pipes, valves & fittings (67.0%); Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 41. Prior stop was $40.00. Score 5.3/10, moderate confidence.

What is the CNM stock price target?

Take-profit target: $48.10 (+12.8% upside). Prior stop was $40.00. Stop-loss: $40.00.

What are the risks of investing in CNM?

Concentration risk — Product: pipes, valves & fittings (67.0%); Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7; Leverage penalty (D/E 1.3): -0.5.

Is CNM overvalued or undervalued?

Core & Main, Inc. trades at a P/E of 17.5 (forward 12.2). TrendMatrix value score: 6.9/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about CNM?

19 analysts cover CNM with a consensus score of 3.7/5. Average price target: $55.

What does Core & Main, Inc. do?Core & Main distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products through over 370 branches across...

Core & Main distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products through over 370 branches across the U.S. and Canada, serving more than 60,000 customers including municipalities, private water companies and contractors. The company holds roughly 17% of an estimated $44 billion addressable market, with pipes, valves & fittings representing approximately 67% of net sales.

Related stocks: GIC (Global Industrial Company) · AIT (Applied Industrial Technologies) · DNOW (DNOW Inc.) · GWW (W.W. Grainger, Inc.) · XMTR (Xometry, Inc.)
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