Sainsbury (J)JSNSF -2.68%77 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.11 as of Feb. 2026, which is 3% below its 10-year median of 3.20. GuruFocus rates JSNSF with a GF Score™ of 77/100 and a GF Value™ of $3.92 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 255 Retail - Defensive companies, Sainsbury (J) ranks worse than 63.53% 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 Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
JSNSF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.85 Med: 3.2 Max: 4.83
Current: 3.02
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Sainsbury (J) was 4.83. The lowest was 1.85. And the median was 3.20.
JSNSF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 63.53% of 255
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 2.19
vs JSNSF: 3.02
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.
Sainsbury (J) Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Sainsbury (J) Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* 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 Grocery Stores subindustry, Sainsbury (J)'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.
Sainsbury (J) Debt-to-EBITDA vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Sainsbury (J)'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 two times the quarterly (Feb. 2026) EBITDA data.
Sainsbury (J) (JSNSF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.11 as of Feb. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Sainsbury (J). This is near median its historical median of 3.20. Over the past decade, Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.85 to 4.83. According to the industry distribution chart, Sainsbury (J) ranks #162 out of 255 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 63.5%.
Is Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Sainsbury (J)'s current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.11 is near median its 10-year median of 3.20. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.85 to a high of 4.83. The Retail - Defensive industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.19. Sainsbury (J)'s value of 3.11 is 42% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Sainsbury (J) ranks #162 out of 255 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Sainsbury (J) has a GF Score™ of 77/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sainsbury (J)'s Debt-to-EBITDA compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Sainsbury (J) ranks #162 out of 255 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Sainsbury (J) in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.19. Sainsbury (J)'s value of 3.11 is 42% above this benchmark. Historically, Sainsbury (J)'s own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.85 to 4.83 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.20 vs. the industry median of 2.19, Sainsbury (J) 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 Retail - Defensive company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Retail - Defensive companies is 2.19, based on 255 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. Sainsbury (J)'s current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.11 is 42% 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 Sainsbury (J). For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.19 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Sainsbury (J)'s current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.11, which is near median its own 10-year median of 3.20. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Sainsbury (J) stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sainsbury (J) (JSNSF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $3.92, compared to a current price of $4.32 — trading 10.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.11, which is near median its 10-year median of 3.20 and 42% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 2.19. Sainsbury (J)'s overall GF Score™ is 77/100 with 8 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 Sainsbury (J) (JSNSF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.11 as of Feb. 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 Sainsbury (J) (JSNSF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sainsbury (J) stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $4.32 is trading 10.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $3.92.
GuruFocus considers Sainsbury (J) to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for JSNSF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.11 (near median its 10-year median of 3.20)
GF Value™: $3.92 vs. price of $4.32 (10.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 42% above the Retail - Defensive median (#162 of 255)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JSNSF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Founded in 1869, Sainsbury's is the second-largest UK grocery chain with around 10% market share. It operates around 600 supermarkets and 850 convenience stores in the UK. The company has diversified away from core food by selling clothing, fuel, and other nonfood items. In September 2016, it took a step further into nonfood retailing with the purchase of Home Retail Group, operating the Habitat and Argos chains (general merchandise and electronics stores).
77GF Score
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