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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 Sterling Financial Holdings Co's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
NSA:STERLINGNG'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.35 Med: 0.69 Max: 2.49
Current: 0.36
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Sterling Financial Holdings Co was 2.49. The lowest was 0.35. And the median was 0.69.
NSA:STERLINGNG's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 63.83% of 1410
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 0.58
vs NSA:STERLINGNG: 0.36
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.
Sterling Financial Holdings Co Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Sterling Financial Holdings Co 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.
Sterling Financial Holdings Co Debt-to-Equity Chart
Sterling Financial Holdings Co Debt-to-Equity Competitor Comparison
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Sterling Financial Holdings Co'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.
Sterling Financial Holdings Co Debt-to-Equity vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Sterling Financial Holdings Co's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Sterling Financial Holdings Co'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.
Sterling Financial Holdings Co (NSA:STERLINGNG) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.36 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Sterling Financial Holdings Co and its competitors. This is 48% below median its historical median of 0.69. Over the past decade, Sterling Financial Holdings Co's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.35 to 2.49. According to the industry distribution chart, Sterling Financial Holdings Co ranks #510 out of 1410 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 36.2%.
Is Sterling Financial Holdings Co's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Sterling Financial Holdings Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.36 is 48% below median its 10-year median of 0.69. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.35 to a high of 2.49. The Banks industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.58. Sterling Financial Holdings Co's value of 0.36 is 37.9% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Sterling Financial Holdings Co ranks #510 out of 1410 companies in the Banks industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Sterling Financial Holdings Co has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sterling Financial Holdings Co's Debt-to-Equity compare to competitors?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Sterling Financial Holdings Co ranks #510 out of 1410 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts Sterling Financial Holdings Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.58. Sterling Financial Holdings Co's value of 0.36 is 37.9% below this benchmark. Historically, Sterling Financial Holdings Co's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.35 to 2.49 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.69 vs. the industry median of 0.58, Sterling Financial Holdings Co 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 1,410 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. Sterling Financial Holdings Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.36 is 37.9% 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 Sterling Financial Holdings Co 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. Sterling Financial Holdings Co's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.36, which is 48% 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 Sterling Financial Holdings Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sterling Financial Holdings Co (NSA:STERLINGNG) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is ₦6.11, compared to a current price of ₦7.70 — trading 26% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.36, which is 48% below median its 10-year median of 0.69 and 37.9% below the Banks industry median of 0.58. Sterling Financial Holdings Co's overall GF Score™ is 64/100 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 Sterling Financial Holdings Co (NSA:STERLINGNG), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.36 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 Sterling Financial Holdings Co (NSA:STERLINGNG) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sterling Financial Holdings Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of ₦7.70 is trading 26% above its estimated GF Value™ of ₦6.11.
GuruFocus considers Sterling Financial Holdings Co to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for NSA:STERLINGNG:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.36 (48% below median its 10-year median of 0.69)
GF Value™: ₦6.11 vs. price of ₦7.70 (26% above fair value)
Industry Position: 37.9% below the Banks median (#510 of 1410)
No single metric tells the full story. See the NSA:STERLINGNG stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Sterling Financial Holdings Co PLC is a developer of a nonoperating financial holding structure designed to support and grow a diversified portfolio of banking and financial service companies. The company offers commercial banking, non-interest banking, and asset management through subsidiaries, enabling individuals, businesses, and institutions to access loans, trade finance, digital banking, and investment products. The Group has five reportable segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Institutional Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which are the Bank's strategic business units.
64GF Score
Get the complete analysis for NSA:STERLINGNG
Debt-to-Equity is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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