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Ingles MarketsIMKTA -1.68%68 Debt-to-Equity is 0.31 as of Jun. 2026, which is 55% below its 10-year median of 0.69. GuruFocus rates IMKTA with a GF Score™ of 68/100 and a GF Value™ of $70.09 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 279 Retail - Defensive companies, Ingles Markets ranks better than 63.44% 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 Ingles Markets's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
IMKTA'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.31 Med: 0.69 Max: 1.87
Current: 0.31
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Ingles Markets was 1.87. The lowest was 0.31. And the median was 0.69.
IMKTA's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 63.44% of 279
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 0.55
vs IMKTA: 0.31
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.
Ingles Markets Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Ingles Markets Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Ingles Markets'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 Grocery Stores subindustry, Ingles Markets'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.
Ingles Markets Debt-to-Equity vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Ingles Markets's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Ingles Markets'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.
Ingles Markets (IMKTA) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.31 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Ingles Markets and its competitors. This is 55% below median its historical median of 0.69. Over the past decade, Ingles Markets' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.31 to 1.87. According to the industry distribution chart, Ingles Markets ranks #102 out of 279 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 36.6%.
Is Ingles Markets' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Ingles Markets' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.31 is 55% below median its 10-year median of 0.69. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.31 to a high of 1.87. The Retail - Defensive industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.55. Ingles Markets' value of 0.31 is 43.6% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Ingles Markets ranks #102 out of 279 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Ingles Markets has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Ingles Markets' Debt-to-Equity compare to WMK and GO?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Ingles Markets ranks #102 out of 279 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts Ingles Markets in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.55. Ingles Markets' value of 0.31 is 43.6% below this benchmark. Historically, Ingles Markets' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.31 to 1.87 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.69 vs. the industry median of 0.55, Ingles Markets has consistently been below 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 Retail - Defensive company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Retail - Defensive companies is 0.55, based on 279 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. Ingles Markets's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.31 is 43.6% below 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 Ingles Markets and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.55 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Ingles Markets's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.31, which is 55% below median its own 10-year median of 0.69. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Ingles Markets stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ingles Markets (IMKTA) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $70.09, compared to a current price of $86.96 — trading 24.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.31, which is 55% below median its 10-year median of 0.69 and 43.6% below the Retail - Defensive industry median of 0.55. Ingles Markets' overall GF Score™ is 68/100 with 7 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 Ingles Markets (IMKTA), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.31 as of Jun. 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 Ingles Markets (IMKTA) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ingles Markets stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $86.96 is trading 24.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $70.09.
GuruFocus considers Ingles Markets to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for IMKTA:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.31 (55% below median its 10-year median of 0.69)
GF Value™: $70.09 vs. price of $86.96 (24.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 43.6% below the Retail - Defensive median (#102 of 279)
No single metric tells the full story. See the IMKTA stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Ingles Markets Inc is a U.S.-based company that is principally engaged in operating a supermarket chain. The company operates the business in the southeast United States, mainly in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with a few stores in Virginia and Alabama as well. The company locates its stores majorly in suburban areas, small towns, and neighborhood areas. It offers a broad range of goods, including food products, pharmacies, health and beauty care products, and general merchandise. The retail business contributes the majority of the company's revenue. The company's real estate ownership of a material portion of total stores enables it to generate rental income.
68GF Score
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