Value Line, Inc. engages in the production and sale of investment periodicals and related publications. Its investment periodicals and related publications cover a range of investments, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and options. The company offers comprehensive research services, including The Value Line Investment Survey - Small and Mid-Cap, The Value Line 600, and The Value Line …
Full VALU analysis →
Competitive advantage assessment
Key strengths
Sticky AUM BaseRevenue stickiness is high (stability score 1.00).
Strong Cash ConversionCash conversion quality is high (score 0.92).
Key risks
High Compensation CostsCompensation costs relative to peers are high (score 0.08).
Fee Margin PressureFee margin quality is below peers (score 0.08).
The dashed ring is the peer median. Defense scores are percentile ranks
against peers, so 50 is roughly the typical company in this group.
Upgrade to unlock the signals and evidence behind each defense.
Premium access
Unlock full defense analysis
Get key signals, strengths, and risks for every moat dimension.
Where VALU ranks in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges
Value Line, Inc. ranks #6 of 15
scored companies in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges by moat score — the top 40%.
The widest moat in the group is CME Group Inc. (CME)
at 82/100.
Moat scores for companies ranked near VALU in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges
How VALU scores on the Asset Management Specialized defenses
Fee Revenue Quality
Score 26
· 20% of the moat score
Fee revenue quality is the ability to charge above the industry's falling average and keep charging it.
Client Retention & Revenue Stickiness
Score 98
· 18% of the moat score
Assets under management leave far more easily than they arrive, and the fee leaves with them.
Compensation Discipline
Score 8
· 18% of the moat score
Compensation is the largest expense in asset management and the one that decides whether a good year ever reaches shareholders.
Capital Efficiency
Score 84
· 20% of the moat score
Asset managers are asset-light: with little capital employed, a healthy business should earn a very high return on equity, and a merely average one is a real warning.
Earnings Quality & Cash Conversion
Score 97
· 14% of the moat score
Reported profits here can be flattered by performance fees, seed-capital gains and consolidated fund accounting, none of which recur reliably.
Balance Sheet Strength
Score 68
· 10% of the moat score
Because the business needs so little capital, an asset manager carrying meaningful debt has usually borrowed to buy another manager or to fund distributions.
Value Line, Inc. (VALU) scores 62 out of 100 on the StatsAlpha Moat Map, which rates its competitive advantage as moderate. It ranks #6 of 15 scored companies in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges, the top 40%. The score is a weighted composite of 6 competitive defenses, each measured against industry peers of 14 companies in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges. Its strongest defense is Client Retention & Revenue Stickiness (98/100) and its weakest is Compensation Discipline (8/100).
How does Value Line, Inc. compare with other Financial Data & Stock Exchanges companies?
Value Line, Inc. ranks #6 of 15 scored companies in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges by moat score. The widest moat in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges is CME Group Inc. (CME) at 82/100. The companies ranked closest are Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE) at 62 just above it and Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ) at 61 just below it.
How is the moat score calculated?
Each company is scored with an industry-specific template — Asset Management Specialized in this case, chosen because the defenses that matter to a bank are not the ones that matter to a software company. Every defense combines several financial signals, and each signal is measured as a percentile against a peer group of 14 companies in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges. The defenses are then weighted to produce the overall score out of 100.
Why is Value Line, Inc. scored with the Asset Management Specialized template?
An asset manager owns almost nothing. It charges a fee on someone else's money, pays much of that fee out in compensation, and keeps the remainder — so its economics turn on the fee rate it can defend, whether client money stays, and how much revenue survives the bonus pool. The Asset Management template scores those questions rather than the balance sheet, which in this industry is largely beside the point.
Which competitive defenses are measured for Value Line, Inc.?
The Asset Management Specialized template measures 6 defenses, and VALU scores: Fee Revenue Quality (26), Client Retention & Revenue Stickiness (98), Compensation Discipline (8), Capital Efficiency (84), Earnings Quality & Cash Conversion (97), Balance Sheet Strength (68). Each is scored independently as a percentile against peers, so a company can be strong on one and weak on another — the overall score reflects how those defenses are weighted for this industry.
We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. By clicking 'Accept All', you consent to our use of cookies.
Read our cookie policy
Cookie Preferences
Manage your cookie preferences. Essential cookies are always enabled.