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Kobe SteelKBSTF 71 Debt-to-Equity is 0.61 as of Mar. 2026, which is 40% below its 10-year median of 1.01. GuruFocus rates KBSTF with a GF Score™ of 71/100 and a GF Value™ of $10.61 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 547 Steel companies, Kobe Steel ranks worse than 63.07% 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 Kobe Steel's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
KBSTF'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.61 Med: 1.01 Max: 1.48
Current: 0.61
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Kobe Steel was 1.48. The lowest was 0.61. And the median was 1.01.
KBSTF's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 63.07% of 547
companies
in the Steel industry
Industry Median: 0.4
vs KBSTF: 0.61
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.
Kobe Steel Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Kobe Steel Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Kobe Steel'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 Steel subindustry, Kobe Steel'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.
Kobe Steel Debt-to-Equity vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Kobe Steel's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kobe Steel'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.
Kobe Steel (KBSTF) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.61 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Kobe Steel and its competitors. This is 40% below median its historical median of 1.01. Over the past decade, Kobe Steel's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.61 to 1.48. According to the industry distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #345 out of 547 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 63.1%.
Is Kobe Steel's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.61 is 40% below median its 10-year median of 1.01. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.61 to a high of 1.48. The Steel industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.40. Kobe Steel's value of 0.61 is 52.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #345 out of 547 companies in the Steel industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Kobe Steel has a GF Score™ of 71/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kobe Steel's Debt-to-Equity compare to NUE and STLD?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #345 out of 547 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Kobe Steel in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.40. Kobe Steel's value of 0.61 is 52.5% above this benchmark. Historically, Kobe Steel's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.61 to 1.48 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.01 vs. the industry median of 0.40, Kobe Steel 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 Steel company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Steel companies is 0.40, based on 547 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. Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.61 is 52.5% 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 Kobe Steel and its competitors. For the Steel industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.61, which is 40% below median its own 10-year median of 1.01. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kobe Steel stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kobe Steel (KBSTF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $10.61, compared to a current price of $11.28 — trading 6.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.61, which is 40% below median its 10-year median of 1.01 and 52.5% above the Steel industry median of 0.40. Kobe Steel's overall GF Score™ is 71/100 with 3 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 Kobe Steel (KBSTF), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.61 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 Kobe Steel (KBSTF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kobe Steel stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $11.28 is trading 6.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $10.61.
GuruFocus considers Kobe Steel to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for KBSTF:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.61 (40% below median its 10-year median of 1.01)
GF Value™: $10.61 vs. price of $11.28 (6.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 52.5% above the Steel median (#345 of 547)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KBSTF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kobe Steel Ltd engages in the manufacture, production, and sale of iron and steel. The company operates through seven segments. The Construction Machinery segment offers excavators, cranes, loaders, and workboats. Electric Power supplies electricity through group companies. Engineering handles plants for steel, petrochemicals, nuclear, water, and waste treatment, along with civil engineering and transport systems. Machinery provides compressors, engines, refrigeration, heat pumps, chemical and rubber machinery, and specialty materials. Materials include steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, and forged products. Steel & Aluminum delivers rolled products, plates, wires, and special steels, while Welding covers electrodes, flux, robots, power sources, and related services.
71GF Score
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