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Clearfield

CLFD Small Cap

Technology · Communication Equipment

Updated: May 22, 2026, 22:06 UTC

$43.73
+2.22% today
52W: $23.76 – $46.76
52W Low: $23.76 Position: 86.8% 52W High: $46.76

Key Metrics

P/E Ratio
190.13x
Price-to-Earnings
Forward P/E
30.16x
Forward Price/Earnings
P/S Ratio
4x
Price-to-Sales
EV/EBITDA
103.58x
Enterprise Value/EBITDA
Div. Yield
Annual dividend yield
Market Cap
$594.3M
Market Capitalization
Revenue Growth
-15.3%
YoY Revenue Growth
Profit Margin
-5.8%
Net profit margin
ROE
1.3%
Return on Equity
Beta
1.9
Market sensitivity
Short Interest
17.42%
% of float sold short
Avg. Volume
205,714
Average daily volume

Valuation Analysis

Signal
Overvalued
vs. S&P 500 avg P/E (24.7x)
Analyst Consensus
Strong Buy
4 analysts
Avg. Price Target
$43.75
+0.05% upside
Target Range
$41.00 – $45.00

About the Company

Clearfield, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and distributes fiber management, protection, and delivery products in the United States and internationally. The company offers FieldSmart, a series of panels, cabinets, wall boxes, and other enclosures; WaveSmart, an optical component integrated for signal coupling, splitting, termination, multiplexing, demultiplexing, and attenuation for integration within its fiber management platform; and FiberFlex, an outdoor active cabinet for mounting and configuration of electronic equipment. It also provides CraftSmart FiberFirst pedestals, an access terminal that offers cable management and mounting bracket kit that support the deployment of access terminals; YOURx, an access terminal that provides flexibility with cable mi

Sector: Technology Industry: Communication Equipment Country: United States Employees: 243 Exchange: NGM

Clearfield Stock at a Glance

Clearfield (CLFD) is currently trading at $43.73 with a market capitalization of $594.3M. The trailing P/E ratio stands at 190.13x, with a forward P/E of 30.16x. The 52-week range spans from $23.76 to $46.76; the current price is 6.5% below the yearly high. Year-over-year revenue growth stands at -15.3%.

💰 Dividend

Clearfield currently does not pay a dividend. The company typically reinvests its earnings into growth initiatives and product development.

📊 Analyst Rating

4 analysts rate Clearfield (CLFD) on consensus: Strong Buy. The average price target is $43.75, implying +0.05% from the current price. Analyst price targets range from $41.00 to $45.00.

Investment Thesis: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths
  • Analyst consensus: Strong Buy
  • Solid balance sheet with low debt (D/E 4.5)
  • Positive free cash flow
Weaknesses
  • Revenue shrinking (-15.3% YoY)
  • Currently unprofitable
  • High valuation multiple (P/E 190.13x)
  • Currently flagged as overvalued
  • High short interest (17.42%)

Technical Snapshot

50-Day MA
$31.67
+38.08% vs. price
200-Day MA
$32.01
+36.61% vs. price
Below 52W High
−6.5%
$46.76
Above 52W Low
+84%
$23.76

The price is in a transition zone relative to the moving averages — no clear signal.

Risk Profile

Market Risk (Beta)
1.9 · High
Moves more than the overall market
Short Interest
17.42% · High
% of float sold short
Debt-to-Equity
4.5 · Low
Total debt / equity

The data points to above-average price swings, elevated short interest (17.42%).

Trading Data

50-Day MA: $31.67
200-Day MA: $32.01
Volume: 322,578
Avg. Volume: 205,714
Short Ratio: 10.99
P/B Ratio: 2.45x
Debt/Equity: 4.5x
Free Cash Flow: $19.6M

Clearfield (CLFD) 2026: 43,50 USD US Fiber-to-the-Home Connectivity Specialist with BEAD-Funded Broadband Buildout Tailwind, FieldShield Product Moat and Founder-Led Discipline

The Real Story

Clearfield Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) is a Plymouth, Minnesota-headquartered fiber-management-and-connectivity equipment specialist. Lead products: FieldShield patented fiber-cassette platform, FieldSmart fiber-distribution-hub, FiberFirst deployment-platform for FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) installations. Customer base: rural-telco-and-MSO operators, regional broadband-providers, plus tier-1-telco partners.

The structural thesis: US BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) Program 42,5 billion USD federal funding allocation through 2030 plus continued FTTH-buildout creates structural-tailwind. The 2024 inventory-overhang cycle compressed revenue 30+ percent but 2025-2026 normalization-and-BEAD-funding-conversion is supporting trajectory recovery.

What Smart Money Thinks

Clearfield has founder-aligned base. Founder-Chairman Cheryl Beranek holds approximately 5,4 percent of shares — strategic-conviction-anchor. BlackRock at approximately 8,2 percent, Vanguard at approximately 7,1 percent. Wasatch Advisors at approximately 5,8 percent. Short-interest sits at approximately 11 percent of float as of May 2026.

Explore the BMI Smart-Money Tracker →

📈 The 3 Real Bull Points

#1 BEAD 42,5 billion USD federal broadband funding allocation creates 5-7 year structural tailwind

US BEAD Program 42,5 billion USD federal funding allocation through 2030 funds FTTH-deployment in unserved-and-underserved-rural-areas. Clearfield is well-positioned to capture approximately 8-12 percent share of BEAD-funded fiber-equipment spending — approximately 3-5 billion USD cumulative addressable revenue opportunity.

#2 FieldShield patented fiber-cassette platform provides structural product-moat versus competitors

FieldShield's patented fiber-cassette design provides structural product-moat versus competitors (CommScope, AFL, Corning). The plug-and-play installation reduces deployment time by approximately 40-60 percent versus traditional fiber-splicing, supporting premium pricing and customer-stickiness.

#3 Founder-led capital discipline through cycle-trough plus 30 percent operating-margin recovery channel

Founder-Chairman Cheryl Beranek's capital-allocation-discipline through the 2024 inventory-overhang-cycle plus operating-margin-recovery channel supports approximately 28-32 percent gross-margin and approximately 15-20 percent operating-margin at fiscal-2027 run-rate.

📉 The 3 Real Bear Points

#1 BEAD-funding-conversion execution-risk and timing uncertainty

BEAD-funding-conversion-to-equipment-orders requires multi-step state-and-federal-approval and project-execution. If conversion-pace slips by 12-18 months, Clearfield's revenue-trajectory could underperform.

#2 Competitive intensity from CommScope, AFL, Corning and Asian fiber-equipment suppliers

Larger fiber-equipment competitors plus Asian-low-cost suppliers compress pricing-power. Competitive pressure could compress margins 100-150bps over 18-24 months.

#3 Forward-P/E 30x reflects growth premium that requires consistent execution

Clearfield's 30x forward-P/E premium reflects expected-recovery-trajectory. If recovery slips or BEAD-conversion underperforms, multiple-compression risk material.

Valuation in Context

Clearfield at 43,50 USD per share with approximately 13,6 million shares outstanding has a market capitalization of approximately 591 million USD. With approximately 80 million USD net cash, enterprise value is approximately 510 million USD against trailing-twelve-month revenue of approximately 175 million USD (approximately 2,9x EV/sales).

On forward-earnings, CLFD trades at approximately 30x consensus fiscal-2026 EPS of approximately 1,45 USD. Applying peer-blended fair-multiple of 20-26x to fiscal-2027 EPS of approximately 2,40 USD produces fair-value range 48-62 USD per share — 10-43 percent upside. Bear-case 28-34 USD. Bull-case (BEAD acceleration, margin recovery) 72-90 USD over 24-36 months.

🗓️ Next 3 Catalyst Dates

  1. 2026 Q3:

    Q3 fiscal-2026 earnings (early August 2026, FY-end September 2026). Watch-items: BEAD-funded order-book, revenue trajectory, gross-margin recovery.

  2. 2026 Q4:

    Q4 fiscal-2026 earnings plus fiscal-2027 guidance.

  3. 2027 Q2:

    Q2 fiscal-2027 earnings (early May 2027). Watch-items: BEAD-funded backlog conversion, margin progression.

💬 Daniel's Take

Clearfield is a founder-led US fiber-to-the-home connectivity specialist with BEAD-funded broadband-buildout tailwind, FieldShield product-moat, and forward-P/E 30x recovery-premium valuation. Position-sizing: 0,5–1,2 percent in thematic-broadband-infrastructure sleeve.

Sources (3)

Disclaimer: This article is not investment advice. Investing in stocks carries risks, including total loss.

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