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The North West CoTSX:NWC +0.95%79 Debt-to-Equity is 0.57 as of Apr. 2026, which is 21% below its 10-year median of 0.72. GuruFocus rates TSX:NWC with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of C$47.94 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 277 Retail - Defensive companies, The North West Co ranks worse than 51.26% 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 The North West Co's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
TSX:NWC'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.55 Med: 0.72 Max: 1.38
Current: 0.57
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of The North West Co was 1.38. The lowest was 0.55. And the median was 0.72.
TSX:NWC's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 51.26% of 277
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 0.56
vs TSX:NWC: 0.57
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.
The North West Co Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
The North West Co Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for The North West Co'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.
TSX:NWC vs KR, SFM, ACI: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, The North West 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.
The North West Co Debt-to-Equity vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, The North West Co's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where The North West 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.
The North West Co (TSX:NWC) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.57 as of Apr. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on The North West Co and its competitors. This is 21% below median its historical median of 0.72. Over the past decade, The North West Co's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.55 to 1.38. According to the industry distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #142 out of 277 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 51.3%.
Is The North West Co's Debt-to-Equity too high?
The North West Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.57 is 21% below median its 10-year median of 0.72. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.55 to a high of 1.38. The Retail - Defensive industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. The North West Co's value of 0.57 is 1.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #142 out of 277 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, The North West Co has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does The North West Co's Debt-to-Equity compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #142 out of 277 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places The North West Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. The North West Co's value of 0.57 is 1.8% above this benchmark. Historically, The North West Co's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.55 to 1.38 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.72 vs. the industry median of 0.56, The North West Co 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 Retail - Defensive company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Retail - Defensive companies is 0.56, based on 277 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. The North West Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.57 is 1.8% 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 The North West Co and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. The North West Co's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.57, which is 21% below median its own 10-year median of 0.72. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is The North West Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The North West Co (TSX:NWC) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is C$47.94, compared to a current price of C$49.00 — trading 2.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.57, which is 21% below median its 10-year median of 0.72 and 1.8% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 0.56. The North West Co's overall GF Score™ is 79/100 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 The North West Co (TSX:NWC), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.57 as of Apr. 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 The North West Co (TSX:NWC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The North West Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of C$49.00 is trading 2.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of C$47.94.
GuruFocus considers The North West Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for TSX:NWC:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.57 (21% below median its 10-year median of 0.72)
GF Value™: C$47.94 vs. price of C$49.00 (2.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 1.8% above the Retail - Defensive median (#142 of 277)
No single metric tells the full story. See the TSX:NWC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
The North West Co Inc is a retailer to rural and remote communities and underserved urban neighbourhood markets in Northern Canada, Western Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific islands, and the Caribbean. The Company offers a broad Multiple products and services with an emphasis on food, focusing on everyday household and local lifestyle needs. It operates as a retailer of food and everyday products and services through two geographical segments: Canadian and International. The Canadian segment generates maximum revenue and consists of subsidiaries operating retail stores and complementary businesses serving northern Canada, while the International segment consists of subsidiaries operating in the continental United States, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.
79GF Score
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