VALU (Value Line) Degree of Operating Leverage : 7.02 (As of Apr. 2026)

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Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

VALU Value Line Inc VALU
70 GF Score
Price $37.86
GF Value $36.06
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 3 Warning Signs
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What is Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage?

Value Line VALU +0.92% 70 Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.02 as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus rates VALU with a GF Score™ of 70/100 and a GF Value™ of $36.06 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 644 Capital Markets companies, Value Line ranks worse than 86.8% on this metric.

Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was 7.02. The higher Degree of Operating Leverage, the higher operating risk the company will take.

The industry rank for Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage or its related term are showing as below:

VALU's Degree of Operating Leverage is ranked worse than
86.8% of 644 companies
in the Capital Markets industry
Industry Median: 0.835 vs VALU: 7.02

Value Line  (NAS:VALU) Degree of Operating Leverage Explanation

Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s operting income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), to fluctuations in its Revenue. DOL is a method used to quantify a company’s operating risk. This risk is related to the company's structure of variable costs and fixed costs. Since the fixed costs do not allow the company to adjust the operating costs, the operating risk rises with a higher fixed-to-variable costs proportion.

A high Degree of Operating Leverage indicates that the company’s fixed costs exceed its variable costs. By increasing the sales, the company can earn more profits. In addition, the company must be able to maintain relatively high sales to cover all fixed costs.

Be Aware

The use of operating leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) should be adjusted accordingly.


Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage Related Terms


Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage 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.

Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage Chart

Value Line Annual Data
Trend Apr17 Apr18 Apr19 Apr20 Apr21 Apr22 Apr23 Apr24 Apr25 Apr26
Degree of Operating Leverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 131.60 -3.03 3.65 5.37 7.02

Value Line Quarterly Data
Jul21 Oct21 Jan22 Apr22 Jul22 Oct22 Jan23 Apr23 Jul23 Oct23 Jan24 Apr24 Jul24 Oct24 Jan25 Apr25 Jul25 Oct25 Jan26 Apr26
Degree of Operating Leverage Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 5.37 6.34 6.97 5.18 7.02

VALU vs DTCX, MKTW, OTCM: Degree of Operating Leverage Comparison

For the Financial Data & Stock Exchanges subindustry, Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Operating Leverage 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.


Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage vs Capital Markets Industry

For the Capital Markets industry and Financial Services sector, Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage falls into.


VALU
70GF Score
Value Line Inc VALU
Degree of Operating Leverage is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Value Line Degree of Operating Leverage Calculation

Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 is calculated as:

Degree of Operating Leverage=% Change in EBIT**/% Change in Revenue
=( 4.031 (Apr. 2026) / 5.985 (Apr. 2025) - 1 )/( 33.447 (Apr. 2026) / 35.079 (Apr. 2025) - 1 )
=-0.3265/-0.0465
=7.02***

* 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.

** TTM data of EBIT and Revenue was used to calculate Degree of Operating Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Operating Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.

What does a Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.02 mean?
Value Line (VALU) has a Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.02 as of Apr. 2026. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Value Line and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Value Line ranks #559 out of 644 companies in the Capital Markets industry, placing it in the top 86.8%.
Is Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage too high?
Value Line's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.02. The Capital Markets industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.84. Value Line's value of 7.02 is 740.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Value Line ranks #559 out of 644 companies in the Capital Markets industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Value Line has a GF Score™ of 70/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Value Line's Degree of Operating Leverage compare to DTCX and MKTW?
According to the Capital Markets industry distribution chart, Value Line ranks #559 out of 644 companies for Degree of Operating Leverage. This places Value Line in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.84. Value Line's value of 7.02 is 740.7% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Degree of Operating Leverage for a Capital Markets company?
The median Degree of Operating Leverage among Capital Markets companies is 0.84, based on 644 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Degree of Operating Leverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Degree of Operating Leverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Value Line's current Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.02 is 740.7% 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 Degree of Operating Leverage mean?
A high Degree of Operating Leverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Value Line and its competitors. For the Capital Markets industry, the median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.84 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Value Line's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.02. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Value Line stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Value Line (VALU) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $36.06, compared to a current price of $37.86 — trading 5% above its estimated fair value. The current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.02 and 740.7% above the Capital Markets industry median of 0.84. Value Line's overall GF Score™ is 70/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Degree of Operating Leverage calculated?
Degree of Operating Leverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Value Line (VALU), the current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.02 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 Value Line (VALU) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Value Line stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $37.86 is trading 5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $36.06. GuruFocus considers Value Line to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for VALU:

  • Degree of Operating Leverage: 7.02
  • GF Value™: $36.06 vs. price of $37.86 (5% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 70/100 with 3 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 740.7% above the Capital Markets median (#559 of 644)

No single metric tells the full story. See the VALU stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Value Line Business Description

Address 551 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, USA, 10176-0001
Value Line Inc is a U.S based company. It produces investment periodicals based on underlying research and making available copyright data, including ranking system and other information, to third parties under written agreements for use in third-party managed and marketed investment products and for other purposes. The company markets under brands including Value Line, the Value Line logo, The Value Line Investment Survey, Smart Research, Smarter Investing and a trusted name in Investment Research. Its only operating segment being Publishing.
70GF Score

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Degree of Operating Leverage is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$37.86
Price
$36.06
GF Value