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China Southern Airlines CoCHKIF 51 Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.57 as of Mar. 2026, which is 143% above its 10-year median of 5.58. GuruFocus rates CHKIF with a GF Score™ of 51/100 and a GF Value™ of $0.53 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 868 Transportation companies, China Southern Airlines Co ranks worse than 95.39% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
CHKIF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -138.72 Med: 5.58 Max: 16.86
Current: 16.86
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of China Southern Airlines Co was 16.86. The lowest was -138.72. And the median was 5.58.
CHKIF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 95.39% of 868
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.645
vs CHKIF: 16.86
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
China Southern Airlines Co Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
China Southern Airlines Co Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Airlines subindustry, China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
China Southern Airlines Co Debt-to-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
China Southern Airlines Co (CHKIF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.57 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on China Southern Airlines Co. This is 143% above median its historical median of 5.58. According to the industry distribution chart, China Southern Airlines Co ranks #828 out of 868 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 95.4%.
Is China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
China Southern Airlines Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.57 is 143% above median its 10-year median of 5.58. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65. China Southern Airlines Co's value of 13.57 is 413% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, China Southern Airlines Co ranks #828 out of 868 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, China Southern Airlines Co has a GF Score™ of 51/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does China Southern Airlines Co's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to DAL and UAL?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, China Southern Airlines Co ranks #828 out of 868 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places China Southern Airlines Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65. China Southern Airlines Co's value of 13.57 is 413% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 5.58 vs. the industry median of 2.65, China Southern Airlines Co has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Transportation companies is 2.65, based on 868 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. China Southern Airlines Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.57 is 413% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on China Southern Airlines Co. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. China Southern Airlines Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.57, which is 143% above median its own 10-year median of 5.58. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is China Southern Airlines Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Southern Airlines Co (CHKIF) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.53, compared to a current price of $0.45 — trading 15.1% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.57, which is 143% above median its 10-year median of 5.58 and 413% above the Transportation industry median of 2.65. China Southern Airlines Co's overall GF Score™ is 51/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For China Southern Airlines Co (CHKIF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.57 as of Mar. 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.
Is China Southern Airlines Co (CHKIF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Southern Airlines Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $0.45 is trading 15.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of $0.53.
GuruFocus considers China Southern Airlines Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for CHKIF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 13.57 (143% above median its 10-year median of 5.58)
GF Value™: $0.53 vs. price of $0.45 (15.1% below fair value)
Industry Position: 413% above the Transportation median (#828 of 868)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CHKIF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
China Southern Airlines Co Ltd is based in Guangzhou principally engaged in airline operations. The Group also operates certain airline-related businesses, including the provision of aircraft maintenance and air catering services. The Group has two reportable operating segments: airline transportation operations and other segments. Airline transportation operations comprise the Group's passenger and cargo, and mail operations. Other segments include cargo handling, hotel and tour operation, ground services, air catering services, and other miscellaneous services. Geographically, the company operates in the Domestic, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and International markets.
51GF Score
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