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Argent IndustrialJSE:ART 72 Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Jul. 17, 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 7.00. GuruFocus rates JSE:ART with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of R29.96 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 622 Steel companies, Argent Industrial ranks better than 91.48% on this metric.
Good Sign:
Piotroski F-Score is 7, indicates a very healthy situation.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Argent Industrial has an F-score of 7. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
The historical rank and industry rank for Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
JSE:ART'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 5 Med: 7 Max: 9
Current: 7
During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Argent Industrial was 9. The lowest was 5. And the median was 7.
The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.
He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.
He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.
What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.
Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.
Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).
Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.
Argent Industrial Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
Argent Industrial Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score 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.
JSE:ART vs NUE, STLD, RS: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Steel subindustry, Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score 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.
Argent Industrial Piotroski F-Score vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score 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.
*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.
Profitability
Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Argent Industrial's current Net Income (TTM) was 293.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)
Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Argent Industrial's return on assets of this year was 0.10260586. Argent Industrial's return on assets of last year was 0.10737632.
==> Last year is higher ==> Score 0.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
Argent Industrial's gearing of this year was 0.03133977. Argent Industrial's gearing of last year was 0.0377024.
==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.
Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)
Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.
Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Argent Industrial's current ratio of this year was 2.75292729. Argent Industrial's current ratio of last year was 2.38201396.
==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue
Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.
Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.
Argent Industrial's number of shares in issue this year was 53.957. Argent Industrial's number of shares in issue last year was 54.431.
==> There is smaller number of shares in issue this year, or the same. ==> Score 1.
Efficiency
Question 8. Change in Gross Margin
Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.
Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.
Argent Industrial's gross margin of this year was 0.31450325. Argent Industrial's gross margin of last year was 0.30075526.
==> This year's gross margin is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 9. Change in asset turnover
Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.
Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Argent Industrial's asset turnover of this year was 0.99404135. Argent Industrial's asset turnover of last year was 1.04810492.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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7
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Argent Industrial has an F-score of 7. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7 as of Jul. 17, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Argent Industrial and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 7.00. Over the past decade, Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 5.00 to 9.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #53 out of 622 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 8.5%.
Is Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Argent Industrial's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is near median its 10-year median of 7.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 5.00 to a high of 9.00. The Steel industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Argent Industrial's value of 7 is 40% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #53 out of 622 companies in the Steel industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Argent Industrial has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Argent Industrial's Piotroski F-Score compare to NUE and STLD?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #53 out of 622 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Argent Industrial in the top 9% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Argent Industrial's value of 7 is 40% above this benchmark. Historically, Argent Industrial's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 5.00 to 9.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 7.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Argent Industrial 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 Piotroski F-Score for a Steel company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Steel companies is 5.00, based on 622 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Argent Industrial's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 40% 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 Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Argent Industrial and its competitors. For the Steel industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Argent Industrial's current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is near median its own 10-year median of 7.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Argent Industrial stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is R29.96, compared to a current price of R37.94 — trading 26.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is near median its 10-year median of 7.00 and 40% above the Steel industry median of 5.00. Argent Industrial's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Argent Industrial (JSE:ART), the current Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Jul. 17, 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 Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Argent Industrial stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of R37.94 is trading 26.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of R29.96.
GuruFocus considers Argent Industrial to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for JSE:ART:
Piotroski F-Score: 7 (near median its 10-year median of 7.00)
GF Value™: R29.96 vs. price of R37.94 (26.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 40% above the Steel median (#53 of 622)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JSE:ART stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Argent Industrial Ltd is a holding company that derives its income from the manufacturing and trading of steel and steel-related products, and properties. The company is organized into three operating divisions, namely Manufacturing, Steel trading, and Properties. The Manufacturing segment consists of manufacturing branded consumer goods. The steel trading segment makes up ferrous steel, aluminum, and stainless steel products. Steel products are also traded internally to the group's manufacturing businesses. The group charges rent for the properties. The company generates a majority of its revenue from manufacturing businesses. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from South Africa and has a presence in the rest of the world.
72GF Score
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