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Synlait MilkSMLKF 44 Debt-to-Equity is 0.78 as of Jan. 2026, which is 24% above its 10-year median of 0.63. GuruFocus rates SMLKF with a GF Score™ of 44/100 and a GF Value™ of $0.49 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,745 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Synlait Milk ranks worse than 70.32% 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 Synlait Milk's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
SMLKF'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.32 Med: 0.63 Max: 1.02
Current: 0.78
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Synlait Milk was 1.02. The lowest was 0.32. And the median was 0.63.
SMLKF's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 70.32% of 1745
companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 0.41
vs SMLKF: 0.78
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.
Synlait Milk Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Synlait Milk Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Synlait Milk'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 Packaged Foods subindustry, Synlait Milk'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.
Synlait Milk Debt-to-Equity vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Synlait Milk's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Synlait Milk'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.
Synlait Milk (SMLKF) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.78 as of Jan. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Synlait Milk and its competitors. This is 24% above median its historical median of 0.63. Over the past decade, Synlait Milk's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.32 to 1.02. According to the industry distribution chart, Synlait Milk ranks #1227 out of 1745 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 70.3%.
Is Synlait Milk's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Synlait Milk's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.78 is 24% above median its 10-year median of 0.63. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.32 to a high of 1.02. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41. Synlait Milk's value of 0.78 is 90.2% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Synlait Milk ranks #1227 out of 1745 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Synlait Milk has a GF Score™ of 44/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Synlait Milk's Debt-to-Equity compare to KHC and GIS?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Synlait Milk ranks #1227 out of 1745 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Synlait Milk in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41. Synlait Milk's value of 0.78 is 90.2% above this benchmark. Historically, Synlait Milk's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.32 to 1.02 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.63 vs. the industry median of 0.41, Synlait Milk 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 Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 0.41, based on 1,745 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. Synlait Milk's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.78 is 90.2% 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 Synlait Milk and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.41 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Synlait Milk's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.78, which is 24% above median its own 10-year median of 0.63. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Synlait Milk stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Synlait Milk (SMLKF) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.49, compared to a current price of $0.24 — trading 51% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.78, which is 24% above median its 10-year median of 0.63 and 90.2% above the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 0.41. Synlait Milk's overall GF Score™ is 44/100 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 Synlait Milk (SMLKF), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.78 as of Jan. 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 Synlait Milk (SMLKF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Synlait Milk stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $0.24 is trading 51% below its estimated GF Value™ of $0.49.
GuruFocus considers Synlait Milk to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for SMLKF:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.78 (24% above median its 10-year median of 0.63)
GF Value™: $0.49 vs. price of $0.24 (51% below fair value)
Industry Position: 90.2% above the Consumer Packaged Goods median (#1227 of 1745)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SMLKF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Synlait Milk Ltd is a dairy processing company that benefits from a differentiated milk supply and operating environment in New Zealand. The business operates within one industry that includes the manufacture of milk powder and its related products, liquid milk, cheese, and butter. Its segment are Synlait and Dairyworks, out of which it derives maximum revenue from Synlait segment.
44GF Score
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