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Live Oak BancsharesLOB +0.80%70 Debt-to-Equity is 0.08 as of Mar. 2026, which is 20% below its 10-year median of 0.10. GuruFocus rates LOB with a GF Score™ of 70/100 and a GF Value™ of $43.15 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,422 Banks companies, Live Oak Bancshares ranks better than 91.28% 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 Live Oak Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
LOB'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0 Med: 0.1 Max: 3.14
Current: 0.08
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Live Oak Bancshares was 3.14. The lowest was 0.00. And the median was 0.10.
LOB's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 91.28% of 1422
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 0.575
vs LOB: 0.08
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.
Live Oak Bancshares Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Live Oak Bancshares Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Live Oak Bancshares'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.
LOB vs NBHC, CHCO, STBA: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Live Oak Bancshares'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.
Live Oak Bancshares Debt-to-Equity vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Live Oak Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Live Oak Bancshares'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.
Live Oak Bancshares (LOB) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.08 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Live Oak Bancshares and its competitors. This is 20% below median its historical median of 0.10. According to the industry distribution chart, Live Oak Bancshares ranks #124 out of 1422 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 8.7%.
Is Live Oak Bancshares' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Live Oak Bancshares' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.08 is 20% below median its 10-year median of 0.10. The Banks industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.58. Live Oak Bancshares' value of 0.08 is 86.1% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Live Oak Bancshares ranks #124 out of 1422 companies in the Banks industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Live Oak Bancshares has a GF Score™ of 70/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Live Oak Bancshares' Debt-to-Equity compare to NBHC and CHCO?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Live Oak Bancshares ranks #124 out of 1422 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Live Oak Bancshares in the top 9% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.58. Live Oak Bancshares' value of 0.08 is 86.1% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.10 vs. the industry median of 0.58, Live Oak Bancshares 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 Banks company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Banks companies is 0.58, based on 1,422 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. Live Oak Bancshares's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.08 is 86.1% 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 Live Oak Bancshares and its competitors. For the Banks industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.58 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Live Oak Bancshares's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.08, which is 20% below median its own 10-year median of 0.10. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Live Oak Bancshares stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Live Oak Bancshares (LOB) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $43.15, compared to a current price of $42.80 — trading 0.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.08, which is 20% below median its 10-year median of 0.10 and 86.1% below the Banks industry median of 0.58. Live Oak Bancshares' overall GF Score™ is 70/100 with 6 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 Live Oak Bancshares (LOB), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.08 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 Live Oak Bancshares (LOB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Live Oak Bancshares stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $42.80 is trading 0.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $43.15.
GuruFocus considers Live Oak Bancshares to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for LOB:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.08 (20% below median its 10-year median of 0.10)
GF Value™: $43.15 vs. price of $42.80 (0.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 86.1% below the Banks median (#124 of 1422)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LOB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Live Oak Bancshares Inc operates as the bank holding company for the Live Oak Banking Company. The company specializes in lending and deposit-related services to small businesses nationwide. The company identifies and extends lending to credit-worthy borrowers both within specific industries, also called verticals, through expertise within those industries, and more broadly to select borrowers outside of those industries. A portion of the loans originated by the Bank are partially guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the 7(a) Loan Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Energy for America Program, Water and Environmental Program, Business and Industry and Community Facilities loan programs.
70GF Score
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