Quality Investor

Covista Inc.

Rank #157Capital Return

CVSA · NYSE · Consumer Defensive

Covista Inc. (CVSA) — Rank #157 by gross profitability (GP/assets 0.37) · ROE 17.4% · Piotroski F-Score 6 / 9.

As-of 2026-09-15 · CIK 0000730464 · all metrics point-in-time as of the filing date.

About

Covista Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides healthcare education in the United States, Barbados, St.

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Kitts, and St. Maarten. It operates in three segments: Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. The company provides degree programs, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees; and online certificate programs for nursing, health professions, medical, and veterinary postsecondary education, counseling, business, information technology, psychology, public health, social work and human services, public administration and public policy, and criminal justice. It also operates Chamberlain University, Walden University, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. The company was formerly known as Adtalem Global Education Inc. and changed its name to Covista Inc. in February 2026. Covista Inc.

was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Industry
Education & Training Services
Sector
Consumer Defensive
State
DE
Filer Category
Large accelerated filer
Fiscal Year End
June 30

Price History

CVSA+237.2% · +27.5% CAGRSPY+80.5% · +12.5% CAGR

Company Snapshot

P/E and reverse DCF are the primary valuation lenses at this stage.

Market Cap

$4.30B

P/E (annual)

17.9

P/S (annual)

2.2

P/B

3.0

P/OCF (annual)

9.1

Shareholder Yield

6.8%

Employees

4,736

Industry

Education & Training Services

Exchange

NYSE

Signal Flags

2 green
Operating leverage expandingOperating income growing faster than revenue
Deferred revenue growingRevenue and deferred revenue both growing — retention signal

Quality Profile

Profitability

1/1 pass
GP / assets
0.37
Return on equity
17.4%
Gross margin trend
PASS

Safety

1/1 pass
Balance-sheet safety
PASS
Debt / equity
1.08
Current ratio
1.09×
Net cash
-$256.53M

Cash Flow

3/3 pass
Positive FCF
PASS
Cash-backed earnings
PASS
Accruals healthy
PASS
SBC / revenue
2.1%

Growth

2/2 pass
Revenue growth
9.3%
Piotroski F-Score
6 / 9
Share dilution
-6.8%

Terry Smith quality gate

Passes 2/5 Terry Smith thresholds

What Growth Is Priced In

Implied revenue growth (10Y)

0.1%

incredible deal

The annual FCF growth rate today's price requires over a 10-year horizon (discount rate 10%, terminal growth 2.5%).

Buyback tailwind: -6.8% — per-share value needs a total required return of -6.8% once share-count change is priced in.

vs. own 6-year median revenue growth: 9.2%

within its own history

Cost-of-equity sensitivity (implied growth at different discount rates)

r = 8%

-3.8%

r = 10% (base)

0.1%

r = 12%

3.4%

Net debt / market cap: 5.7%

Base FCF: $392.7M3Y mean FCF: $309.1M

Valuation History

Current multiple vs historical range at each filing date. Band spans 25th-75th percentile.

P / E

Price / diluted EPS

17.7xCheap
5.7xmed 22.0x90.2x

P / S

Price / revenue per share

2.3xFair
1.3xmed 2.0x2.6x

P / B

Price / book value per share

3.1xExpensive
1.2xmed 1.9x3.2x

P / GP

Price / gross profit per share

4.0xFair
2.5xmed 3.7x5.5x

P / FCF

Price / free cash flow per share

11.3xCheap
11.3xmed 15.9x30.6x

FCF yield, shareholder yield, and buyback activity are the primary reads at this stage.

Profitability

Gross profitability (GP / assets)

0.37

Primary signal (Novy-Marx).

4th of 8 SIC 8200 peers

Return on equity

17.4%

Gross margin

57.3%

1st of 8 SIC 8200 peers

Revenue growth (YoY)

9.3%

Gross margin improving

Margin trend vs prior year.

PASS

Operating Leverage

2023202420252026
Revenue vs COGS
Revenue vs OpEx
Op. Income vs Revenue

Growth

Revenue CAGR (3Y)

10.4%

Revenue CAGR (5Y)

16.8%

Earnings CAGR (3Y)

39.2%

FCF CAGR (3Y)

33.3%

Anti-fragile safety

Balance-sheet safety

Composite anti-fragile check.

PASS

Debt / equity

1.08

7th of 8 SIC 8200 peers (best = lowest)

Current ratio

1.09×

8th of 8 SIC 8200 peers

Quick ratio

0.96×

Net cash

-$256.53M

Cash & equivalents minus total debt.

Recession resistance

Revenue through recessions

Worst single-year YoY revenue decline, 15 years of history

Weak
2008-2009 (GFC)
N/AN/A
2020 (COVID)
-15.1%Significant decline
Worst year on record(any fiscal year, not recession-limited)
-15.1%Significant decline

Cash-flow health

Free cash flow

$392.73M

Operating cash flow minus capex.

Positive free cash flow

PASS

FCF / net income

0.56

Cash-backing of earnings.

FCF/NI divergence

Unfavorable divergence (yellow flag).

PASS

Accruals healthy

Cash-backed earnings.

PASS

SBC / revenue

2.1%

Stock-based comp intensity.

Piotroski F-Score

F-Score

6 / 9

Fundamental-strength score (0-9).

Lifecycle Phase History

20212026
Capital Return
Hypergrowth