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Spark New ZealandASX:SPK +0.65%64 Debt-to-Equity is 1.71 as of Dec. 2025, which is 34% above its 10-year median of 1.28. GuruFocus rates ASX:SPK with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of A$2.70 (Significantly Undervalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 323 Telecommunication Services companies, Spark New Zealand ranks worse than 80.5% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
ASX:SPK'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.52 Med: 1.28 Max: 1.91
Current: 1.71
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Spark New Zealand was 1.91. The lowest was 0.52. And the median was 1.28.
ASX:SPK's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 80.5% of 323
companies
in the Telecommunication Services industry
Industry Median: 0.61
vs ASX:SPK: 1.71
Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK) Debt-to-Equity Explanation
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Spark New Zealand Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Spark New Zealand Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity 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 Telecom Services subindustry, Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity 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.
Spark New Zealand Debt-to-Equity vs Telecommunication Services Industry
For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity 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.
Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK) has a Debt-to-Equity of 1.71 as of Dec. 2025. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Spark New Zealand and its competitors. This is 34% above median its historical median of 1.28. Over the past decade, Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.52 to 1.91. According to the industry distribution chart, Spark New Zealand ranks #260 out of 323 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, placing it in the top 80.5%.
Is Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Spark New Zealand's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.71 is 34% above median its 10-year median of 1.28. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.52 to a high of 1.91. The Telecommunication Services industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.61. Spark New Zealand's value of 1.71 is 180.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Spark New Zealand ranks #260 out of 323 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Spark New Zealand has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Significantly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Spark New Zealand's Debt-to-Equity compare to TMUS and VZ?
According to the Telecommunication Services industry distribution chart, Spark New Zealand ranks #260 out of 323 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Spark New Zealand in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.61. Spark New Zealand's value of 1.71 is 180.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Spark New Zealand's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.52 to 1.91 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.28 vs. the industry median of 0.61, Spark New Zealand 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-Equity for a Telecommunication Services company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Telecommunication Services companies is 0.61, based on 323 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Spark New Zealand's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.71 is 180.3% 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-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Spark New Zealand and its competitors. For the Telecommunication Services industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.61 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Spark New Zealand's current Debt-to-Equity is 1.71, which is 34% above median its own 10-year median of 1.28. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Spark New Zealand stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK) is currently considered Significantly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is A$2.70, compared to a current price of A$1.55 — trading 42.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 1.71, which is 34% above median its 10-year median of 1.28 and 180.3% above the Telecommunication Services industry median of 0.61. Spark New Zealand's overall GF Score™ is 64/100 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-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK), the current Debt-to-Equity is 1.71 as of Dec. 2025. 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 Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Spark New Zealand stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of A$1.55 is trading 42.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of A$2.70.
GuruFocus considers Spark New Zealand to be Significantly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for ASX:SPK:
Debt-to-Equity: 1.71 (34% above median its 10-year median of 1.28)
GF Value™: A$2.70 vs. price of A$1.55 (42.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 180.3% above the Telecommunication Services median (#260 of 323)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ASX:SPK stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Spark is one of only three integrated telecommunications companies in New Zealand. It is the leading mobile network operator with low- to mid-40% subscriber and revenue share, and the dominant provider of fixed-line broadband services with a mid-30% subscriber share. It has a big position in the New Zealand corporate and wholesale telecommunications services provision space. Spark supplements its core telecommunications operations and related infrastructure with IT products and services across cloud, managed data and networks, procurement, data centers, and Internet of Things. Its operations are all based in New Zealand, except for its 41% interest in Southern Cross Submarine Cables, which has zero book value and to which Spark has no funding obligations.
64GF Score
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