TTI

We rate TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC (TTI) as a Hold with a composite score of 53.4/100 at a current price of $11.20. The stock presents a mixed quantitative picture — neither compelling enough to warrant new accumulation nor weak enough to justify selling for existing holders. Our factors are split, and the overall profile suggests patience is warranted.

The rating is primarily driven by strength in momentum (85th percentile) and quality (50th percentile), which together account for the majority of the composite score. Offsetting weakness in investment (25th percentile) and stability (36th percentile) tempers our overall conviction. We assign a No Moat rating (30/100), High uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation.

Key items to watch: whether strong momentum is fundamentally supported by revenue trends. Any material change in these dynamics could warrant a reassessment of our rating. The moat trend is stable, which suggests the competitive landscape is stable for now.

TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC holds a top-quartile position (#0 of 50) within the Mining sector, based on our composite quantitative scoring across quality, value, momentum, and stability factors. The composite score of 53.4/100 places it at rank #1476 in our full 7,333-stock universe. At $766M in market capitalization, TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC is a small-cap player in the Mining space, which limits certain scale advantages but may allow for more agile strategic execution.

Despite positive momentum (85th percentile), revenue contraction of -11% creates a divergence between price action and fundamental trajectory. This divergence suggests either that the market is looking through near-term weakness or that technical factors are temporarily inflating the stock. Investors should assess whether the revenue decline reflects cyclical weakness or structural challenges.

The margin cascade tells an important story: gross margins of 26% (-17.4pp vs sector) narrow to operating margins of 22% (+9.4pp vs sector) and net margins of 2.4%, yielding a gross-to-net conversion rate of 9%. The significant margin erosion from gross to net suggests elevated operating expenses, high interest costs, or other structural drags that warrant monitoring.

At a current price of $11.20, TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC is trading near fair value based on current fundamentals. Our value factor score of 40/100 reflects a composite assessment across multiple valuation metrics including price-to-earnings, price-to-book, EV/EBITDA, and price-to-sales ratios relative to both sector peers and the broader market. Valuation metrics are mixed, with no strong signal of mispricing in either direction.

The stock currently trades at a P/E of 90.0x (a 556% premium to the sector median of 13.7x), EV/EBITDA of 12.2x (at a premium), P/B of 5.0x, P/S of 2.4x. The above-sector P/E multiple suggests the market is pricing in superior growth or quality, which our analysis finds only partially justified by current fundamentals.

We assign a High uncertainty rating to TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC. Key risk factors include elevated market sensitivity (beta of 1.51), below-average price stability (36th percentile), elevated valuation multiple (P/E 90.0x) that leaves limited margin for error. The wide range of potential outcomes widens our fair value estimate and increases the possibility of permanent capital impairment. Investors considering this name should size positions accordingly and demand a meaningful margin of safety before initiating.

Specific risk factors that inform our assessment include: elevated market sensitivity (beta of 1.51); below-average price stability (36th percentile); elevated valuation multiple (P/E 90.0x) that leaves limited margin for error; the combination of leverage (61% D/E) and thin margins (2.4% net) amplifies downside risk. Each of these factors independently widens the distribution of potential outcomes, and in combination they create a risk profile that demands careful position sizing. The stability factor at the 36th percentile and quality factor at the 50th percentile provide a quantitative summary of the overall risk landscape.

We identify limited risk mitigants at this time, which contributes to our high uncertainty assessment. Investors should monitor for improvement in balance sheet metrics, margin stability, and business predictability that could warrant a downgrade in our risk assessment over time.

We rate TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC's capital allocation as Poor. Key concerns include suboptimal returns on capital. Exemplary capital allocators generate ROE above 20% and maintain conservative leverage — TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC significantly underperforms these benchmarks, raising questions about management's ability to create shareholder value.

Investors should scrutinize management's reinvestment decisions and balance sheet trajectory before committing capital. Poor capital allocation often compounds over time: overlevered balance sheets limit strategic flexibility, while low returns on capital destroy shareholder value. We would need to see sustained improvement in profitability metrics and balance sheet discipline before considering an upgrade.

In summary, TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC receives a Hold rating with a composite score of 53.4/100 (rank #1476 of 7,333). Our quantitative framework assigns a No Moat (30/100, trend: stable), High uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation. The average factor score across quality, value, momentum, stability, and investment is 47/100.

Our analysis supports a neutral stance on TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC. While the quantitative profile is not weak enough to warrant selling, it lacks the multi-factor strength required for a buy recommendation. Existing holders should maintain positions and monitor for catalysts — either fundamental improvement or valuation compression — that would shift the risk-reward balance.