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.
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.
Jefferson CapitalJCAP -2.46%17 Debt-to-Equity is 3.25 as of Mar. 2026, which is 10% above its 10-year median of 2.96. GuruFocus rates JCAP with a GF Score™ of 17/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 456 Credit Services companies, Jefferson Capital ranks worse than 73.25% 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 Jefferson Capital's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
JCAP'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.71 Med: 2.96 Max: 3.25
Current: 3.25
During the past 3 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Jefferson Capital was 3.25. The lowest was 2.71. And the median was 2.96.
JCAP's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 73.25% of 456
companies
in the Credit Services industry
Industry Median: 1.235
vs JCAP: 3.25
Jefferson Capital (NAS:JCAP) 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.
Jefferson Capital Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Jefferson Capital Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Jefferson Capital'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 Credit Services subindustry, Jefferson Capital'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.
Jefferson Capital Debt-to-Equity vs Credit Services Industry
For the Credit Services industry and Financial Services sector, Jefferson Capital's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Jefferson Capital'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.
Jefferson Capital (JCAP) has a Debt-to-Equity of 3.25 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Jefferson Capital and its competitors. This is 10% above median its historical median of 2.96. Over the past decade, Jefferson Capital's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 2.71 to 3.25. According to the industry distribution chart, Jefferson Capital ranks #334 out of 456 companies in the Credit Services industry, placing it in the top 73.2%.
Is Jefferson Capital's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Jefferson Capital's current Debt-to-Equity of 3.25 is 10% above median its 10-year median of 2.96. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.71 to a high of 3.25. The Credit Services industry median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24. Jefferson Capital's value of 3.25 is 163.2% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Jefferson Capital ranks #334 out of 456 companies in the Credit Services industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Jefferson Capital has a GF Score™ of 17/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Jefferson Capital's Debt-to-Equity compare to LU and WRLD?
According to the Credit Services industry distribution chart, Jefferson Capital ranks #334 out of 456 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Jefferson Capital in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24. Jefferson Capital's value of 3.25 is 163.2% above this benchmark. Historically, Jefferson Capital's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 2.71 to 3.25 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.96 vs. the industry median of 1.24, Jefferson Capital 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 Credit Services company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Credit Services companies is 1.24, based on 456 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. Jefferson Capital's current Debt-to-Equity of 3.25 is 163.2% 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 Jefferson Capital and its competitors. For the Credit Services industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Jefferson Capital's current Debt-to-Equity is 3.25, which is 10% above median its own 10-year median of 2.96. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Jefferson Capital stock overvalued right now?
Jefferson Capital (JCAP) has a current Debt-to-Equity of 3.25. The current Debt-to-Equity is 3.25, which is 10% above median its 10-year median of 2.96 and 163.2% above the Credit Services industry median of 1.24. Jefferson Capital's overall GF Score™ is 17/100 with 2 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 Jefferson Capital (JCAP), the current Debt-to-Equity is 3.25 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.
Jefferson Capital Inc and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Latin America, providing debt recovery solutions across a broad range of consumer receivables, including credit card, automotive, utilities, telecom, and other accounts. The Company mainly purchases portfolios of consumer receivables from independent third parties at deep discounts to face value and manages these portfolios by working with individuals as obligations are repaid and financial recovery is achieved, including accounts subject to bankruptcy proceedings. In addition, the Company provides debt servicing and portfolio management services to credit originators for non-performing loans and generates revenue through credit card acquisition programs.
17GF Score
Get the complete analysis for JCAP
Debt-to-Equity is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
JCAP has been successfully added to your 
