FREEW (Whole Earth Brands) Probability of Financial Distress (%): 50.00% (As of Sep. 09, 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

FREEW Whole Earth Brands Inc FREEW
12 GF Score
Price $0.07
! 6 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Whole Earth Brands Probability of Financial Distress (%)?

Whole Earth Brands FREEW +3.82% 12 Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00% as of Sep. 09, 2026. GuruFocus rates FREEW with a GF Score™ of 12/100. The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review.

Probability of Financial Distress (%) measures the probability that a company will go bankrupt in the upcoming year given its current financial position. A higher ratio indicates a larger probability of bankruptcy for the company, while a lower ratio indicates a healthier fundamental. As of today, Whole Earth Brands's Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00%.

Like the Altman Z-Score, the PFD measures a company's bankruptcy risk. However, the main drawback of the Z-score is it does not apply to banks and insurance companies. According to Investopedia, the concept of "working capital" does not apply to banks and insurance companies, as financial institutions do not have typical current assets or current liabilities like inventories or accounts payable.


Whole Earth Brands  (NAS:FREEW) Probability of Financial Distress (%) Explanation

Like the Altman Z-Score, the PFD measures a company's bankruptcy risk in the upcoming year. However, the main drawback of the Z-score is it does not apply to banks and insurance companies. According to Investopedia, the concept of "working capital" does not apply to banks and insurance companies, as financial institutions do not have typical current assets or current liabilities like inventories or accounts payable.


Whole Earth Brands Probability of Financial Distress (%) Related Terms


FREEW vs MAMA, LWAY, FTLF: Probability of Financial Distress (%) Comparison

For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Whole Earth Brands's Probability of Financial Distress (%), along with its competitors' market caps and Probability of Financial Distress (%) data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Whole Earth Brands Probability of Financial Distress (%) vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Whole Earth Brands's Probability of Financial Distress (%) distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Whole Earth Brands's Probability of Financial Distress (%) falls into.


FREEW
12GF Score
Whole Earth Brands Inc FREEW
Probability of Financial Distress (%) is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Whole Earth Brands Probability of Financial Distress (%) Calculation

Probability of Financial Distress (%) (PFD) was developed by John Campbell, Jens Hilscher and Jan Szilagyi in their Search of Distress Risk. It measures the probability that a company will go bankrupt within the next 12 months given its current financial position.

The Probability of Financial Distress (%) was obtained by a logit probability model based on eight explanatory variables. The logit formula to compute the probability of financial distress (LPFD) is given below:

LPFD= -20.12 * NIMTAAVG + 1.60 * TLMTA - 7.88 * EXRETAVG + 1.55 * SIGMA - 0.005 * RSIZE - 2.27 * CASHMTA + 0.070 * MB - 0.09 * PRICE -8.87
=0.00

The Probability of Financial Distress (%) (PFD) was then obtianed by:

PFD=1/(1 + e^(-LPFD))*100%
=50.00%

The eight explanatory variables are:

1. NIMTAAVG = Net Income to Market Total Assets

NIMTAAVG=Net Income / Market Total Assets
=Net Income / (Market Cap + Total Liabilities)

*Note that for companies reported quarterly, geometrically declining weighted quarterly Net Income data in latest four quarters are used.

2. TLMTA = Total liabilities to Market Total Assets

TLMTA=Total Liabilities / Market Total Assets

3. CASHMTA = Cash to Market Total Assets

For non-financial companies, CASHMTA is measured as:

CASHMTA=Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities / Market Total Assets

4. EXRETAVG = Excess Return compared to the S&P 500

EXRETAVG is the weighted excess return compared to the S&P 500 in past 12 month. Geometrically declining weights are imposed on the monthly excess return to reflect lagged information. The weight is halved each quarter.

5. SIGMA = Standard Deviation of Daily Returns

For sigma, we use the annualized standard deviation of a company's returns over the past 92 days (or 63 trading days).

6. RSIZE = Relative Size

RSIZE=log (Market Cap / Total Market Cap of S&P 500 companies)

7. MB = Market to Adjusted Book Equity Ratio


8. PRICE

PRICE is measured as the log of the stock price, capped at log(15).

What does a Probability of Financial Distress (%) of 50.00% mean?
Whole Earth Brands (FREEW) has a Probability of Financial Distress (%) of 50.00% as of Sep. 09, 2026.
Is Whole Earth Brands' Probability of Financial Distress (%) too high?
Whole Earth Brands' current Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00%. Overall, Whole Earth Brands has a GF Score™ of 12/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Whole Earth Brands' Probability of Financial Distress (%) compare to MAMA and LWAY?
Whole Earth Brands' Probability of Financial Distress (%) of 50.00% can be compared against companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Probability of Financial Distress (%) for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
A good Probability of Financial Distress (%) depends on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry context. However, Probability of Financial Distress (%) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Probability of Financial Distress (%) mean?
A high Probability of Financial Distress (%) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Whole Earth Brands's current Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Whole Earth Brands stock overvalued right now?
Whole Earth Brands (FREEW) has a current Probability of Financial Distress (%) of 50.00%. The current Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00%. Whole Earth Brands' overall GF Score™ is 12/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Probability of Financial Distress (%) calculated?
Probability of Financial Distress (%) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Whole Earth Brands (FREEW), the current Probability of Financial Distress (%) is 50.00% as of Sep. 09, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Whole Earth Brands Business Description

Address 125 South Wacker Drive, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL, USA, 60606
Whole Earth Brands Inc is a food company that provides access to high-quality, plant-based sweeteners, flavor enhancers and other foods through diverse portfolio of brands and products. The company operates in two segments namely, Branded CPG and Flavors & Ingredients. Its portfolio consists of three main product groups: sweeteners, adjacencies, and ingredients. Majority of the revenue is generated from the Branded CPG segment which provides a variety of sweetener formulations under brands such as Whole Earth, Pure Via, Wholesome, Swerve, Canderel, and Equal. Geographically, the company derives key revenue from North America and rest from Europe, Latin America, India, Middle East and Africa and other markets.
12GF Score

Get the complete analysis for FREEW

Probability of Financial Distress (%) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$0.07
Price