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KinderCare LearningKLC -1.97%29 Piotroski F-Score is 3 as of Aug. 27, 2026, which is 25% below its 10-year median of 4.00. GuruFocus rates KLC with a GF Score™ of 29/100. The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 252 Education companies, KinderCare Learning ranks worse than 86.9% on this metric.
Warning Sign:
Piotroski F-Score of 3 is low, which usually implies poor business operation.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
KinderCare Learning has an F-score of 3. It is a bad or low score, which usually implies poor business operation.
The historical rank and industry rank for KinderCare Learning's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
KLC'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3 Med: 4 Max: 8
Current: 3
During the past 8 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of KinderCare Learning was 8. The lowest was 3. And the median was 4.
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.
KinderCare Learning Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
KinderCare Learning Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for KinderCare Learning'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.
KLC vs GOTU, APEI, JDZG: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, KinderCare Learning'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.
KinderCare Learning Piotroski F-Score vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, KinderCare Learning's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where KinderCare Learning'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.
KinderCare Learning's current Net Income (TTM) was -471.
==> Negative ==> Score 0.
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.
KinderCare Learning's return on assets of this year was -0.12431751. KinderCare Learning's return on assets of last year was -0.01632432.
==> Last year is higher ==> Score 0.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
KinderCare Learning's gearing of this year was 0.63978337. KinderCare Learning's gearing of last year was 0.62323601.
==> Last year is lower than this year ==> Score 0.
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
KinderCare Learning's current ratio of this year was 0.74502689. KinderCare Learning's current ratio of last year was 0.6576827.
==> 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.
KinderCare Learning's number of shares in issue this year was 118.798. KinderCare Learning's number of shares in issue last year was 118.371.
==> There is larger number of shares in issue this year. ==> Score 0.
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.
KinderCare Learning's gross margin of this year was 0.19165942. KinderCare Learning's gross margin of last year was 0.22939415.
==> Last year's gross margin is higher ==> Score 0.
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
KinderCare Learning's asset turnover of this year was 0.72154184. KinderCare Learning's asset turnover of last year was 0.73247628.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
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Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
KinderCare Learning has an F-score of 3. It is a bad or low score, which usually implies poor business operation.
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a Piotroski F-Score of 3 as of Aug. 27, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on KinderCare Learning and its competitors. This is 25% below median its historical median of 4.00. Over the past decade, KinderCare Learning's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00. According to the industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #219 out of 252 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 86.9%.
Is KinderCare Learning's Piotroski F-Score too high?
KinderCare Learning's current Piotroski F-Score of 3 is 25% below median its 10-year median of 4.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 8.00. The Education industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. KinderCare Learning's value of 3 is 40% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #219 out of 252 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, KinderCare Learning has a GF Score™ of 29/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does KinderCare Learning's Piotroski F-Score compare to GOTU and APEI?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #219 out of 252 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places KinderCare Learning in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. KinderCare Learning's value of 3 is 40% below this benchmark. Historically, KinderCare Learning's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, KinderCare Learning 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 Piotroski F-Score for an Education company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Education companies is 5.00, based on 252 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. KinderCare Learning's current Piotroski F-Score of 3 is 40% 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 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 KinderCare Learning and its competitors. For the Education 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. KinderCare Learning's current Piotroski F-Score is 3, which is 25% below median its own 10-year median of 4.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is KinderCare Learning stock overvalued right now?
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a current Piotroski F-Score of 3. The current Piotroski F-Score is 3, which is 25% below median its 10-year median of 4.00 and 40% below the Education industry median of 5.00. KinderCare Learning's overall GF Score™ is 29/100 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 KinderCare Learning (KLC), the current Piotroski F-Score is 3 as of Aug. 27, 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.
KinderCare Learning Companies Inc is a private provider of early childhood education and child care services, serving children from six weeks to twelve years through a nationwide network of centers and programs. The company operates through three consumer-facing brands: KinderCare Learning Centers, Creme School, and Champions. KinderCare Learning Centers provide community-based early education and care, Creme School offers premium early education with enrichment-focused programs, and Champions delivers before- and after-school and summer programs for school-aged children.
29GF Score
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