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Life Healthcare Group HoldingsJSE:LHC -0.69%58 Debt-to-Equity is 0.43 as of Mar. 2026, which is 41% below its 10-year median of 0.73. GuruFocus rates JSE:LHC with a GF Score™ of 58/100 and a GF Value™ of R15.68 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 557 Healthcare Providers & Services companies, Life Healthcare Group Holdings ranks worse than 50.63% 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 Life Healthcare Group Holdings's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
JSE:LHC'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.35 Med: 0.73 Max: 5.02
Current: 0.43
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Life Healthcare Group Holdings was 5.02. The lowest was 0.35. And the median was 0.73.
JSE:LHC's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 50.63% of 557
companies
in the Healthcare Providers & Services industry
Industry Median: 0.42
vs JSE:LHC: 0.43
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.
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Debt-to-Equity 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.
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Debt-to-Equity Chart
JSE:LHC vs HCA, THC, DVA: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Medical Care Facilities subindustry, Life Healthcare Group Holdings'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.
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Debt-to-Equity vs Healthcare Providers & Services Industry
For the Healthcare Providers & Services industry and Healthcare sector, Life Healthcare Group Holdings's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Life Healthcare Group Holdings'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.
Life Healthcare Group Holdings (JSE:LHC) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.43 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Life Healthcare Group Holdings and its competitors. This is 41% below median its historical median of 0.73. Over the past decade, Life Healthcare Group Holdings' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.35 to 5.02. According to the industry distribution chart, Life Healthcare Group Holdings ranks #282 out of 557 companies in the Healthcare Providers & Services industry, placing it in the top 50.6%.
Is Life Healthcare Group Holdings' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Life Healthcare Group Holdings' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.43 is 41% below median its 10-year median of 0.73. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.35 to a high of 5.02. The Healthcare Providers & Services industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.42. Life Healthcare Group Holdings' value of 0.43 is 2.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Life Healthcare Group Holdings ranks #282 out of 557 companies in the Healthcare Providers & Services industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Life Healthcare Group Holdings has a GF Score™ of 58/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Life Healthcare Group Holdings' Debt-to-Equity compare to HCA and THC?
According to the Healthcare Providers & Services industry distribution chart, Life Healthcare Group Holdings ranks #282 out of 557 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Life Healthcare Group Holdings in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.42. Life Healthcare Group Holdings' value of 0.43 is 2.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Life Healthcare Group Holdings' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.35 to 5.02 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.73 vs. the industry median of 0.42, Life Healthcare Group Holdings 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 Healthcare Providers & Services company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Healthcare Providers & Services companies is 0.42, based on 557 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. Life Healthcare Group Holdings's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.43 is 2.4% 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 Life Healthcare Group Holdings and its competitors. For the Healthcare Providers & Services industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.42 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Life Healthcare Group Holdings's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.43, which is 41% below median its own 10-year median of 0.73. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Life Healthcare Group Holdings stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Life Healthcare Group Holdings (JSE:LHC) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is R15.68, compared to a current price of R11.51 — trading 26.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.43, which is 41% below median its 10-year median of 0.73 and 2.4% above the Healthcare Providers & Services industry median of 0.42. Life Healthcare Group Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 58/100 with 4 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 Life Healthcare Group Holdings (JSE:LHC), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.43 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 Life Healthcare Group Holdings (JSE:LHC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Life Healthcare Group Holdings stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of R11.51 is trading 26.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of R15.68.
GuruFocus considers Life Healthcare Group Holdings to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for JSE:LHC:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.43 (41% below median its 10-year median of 0.73)
GF Value™: R15.68 vs. price of R11.51 (26.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 2.4% above the Healthcare Providers & Services median (#282 of 557)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JSE:LHC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd is a private healthcare provider in southern Africa, prominently serving the medically insured market. The company is in the business of providing hospital and complementary services (which include mental healthcare, acute rehabilitation, renal dialysis, oncology and diagnostics) and healthcare services. It operates via three segments: Hospitals segment (acute hospitals), the Complementary Services segment (mental health, acute rehabilitation, renal dialysis, oncology and diagnostics) and the Healthcare Services segment (Life Nkanyisa and Life Health Solutions). The majority of revenue is derived from the hospitals segment. Geographically, the company generates the maximum revenue from Southern Africa.
58GF Score
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