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NetScout SystemsSTU:NSZ +1.32%65 Piotroski F-Score is 8 as of Aug. 23, 2026, which is 14% above its 10-year median of 7.00. GuruFocus rates STU:NSZ with a GF Score™ of 65/100 and a GF Value™ of €20.42. The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,741 Software companies, NetScout Systems ranks better than 98.58% on this metric.
Good Sign:
Piotroski F-Score is 8, 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
NetScout Systems has an F-score of 8. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
The historical rank and industry rank for NetScout Systems's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
STU:NSZ'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3 Med: 7 Max: 9
Current: 8
During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of NetScout Systems was 9. The lowest was 3. And the median was 7.
NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) Piotroski F-Score Explanation
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.
NetScout Systems Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
NetScout Systems Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for NetScout Systems'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.
STU:NSZ vs EEFT, TDC, STNE: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Software - Infrastructure subindustry, NetScout Systems'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.
NetScout Systems Piotroski F-Score vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, NetScout Systems's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where NetScout Systems'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.
NetScout Systems's current Net Income (TTM) was 103.8.
==> 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.
NetScout Systems's return on assets of this year was 0.05550797. NetScout Systems's return on assets of last year was 0.03550105.
==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
NetScout Systems's gearing of this year was 0.01297321. NetScout Systems's gearing of last year was 0.01359565.
==> 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
NetScout Systems's current ratio of this year was 1.82516214. NetScout Systems's current ratio of last year was 1.76730559.
==> 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.
NetScout Systems's number of shares in issue this year was 74.597. NetScout Systems's number of shares in issue last year was 71.729.
==> 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.
NetScout Systems's gross margin of this year was 0.7983061. NetScout Systems's gross margin of last year was 0.78764216.
==> 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
NetScout Systems's asset turnover of this year was 0.40575347. NetScout Systems's asset turnover of last year was 0.3945537.
==> This year's asset turnover is higher. ==> Score 1.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
NetScout Systems has an F-score of 8. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) has a Piotroski F-Score of 8 as of Aug. 23, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on NetScout Systems and its competitors. This is 14% above median its historical median of 7.00. Over the past decade, NetScout Systems' Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 9.00. According to the industry distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #39 out of 2741 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 1.4%.
Is NetScout Systems' Piotroski F-Score too high?
NetScout Systems' current Piotroski F-Score of 8 is 14% above median its 10-year median of 7.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 9.00. The Software industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. NetScout Systems' value of 8 is 60% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #39 out of 2741 companies in the Software industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, NetScout Systems has a GF Score™ of 65/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does NetScout Systems' Piotroski F-Score compare to EEFT and TDC?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #39 out of 2741 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places NetScout Systems in the top 1% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. NetScout Systems' value of 8 is 60% above this benchmark. Historically, NetScout Systems' own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 9.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 7.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, NetScout Systems 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 Software company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Software companies is 5.00, based on 2,741 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. NetScout Systems's current Piotroski F-Score of 8 is 60% 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 NetScout Systems and its competitors. For the Software 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. NetScout Systems's current Piotroski F-Score is 8, which is 14% above 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 NetScout Systems stock overvalued right now?
NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) has a current Piotroski F-Score of 8. The stock's GF Value™ is €20.42, compared to a current price of €32.93 — trading 61.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 8, which is 14% above median its 10-year median of 7.00 and 60% above the Software industry median of 5.00. NetScout Systems' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 3 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 NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ), the current Piotroski F-Score is 8 as of Aug. 23, 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 NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, NetScout Systems stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €32.93 is trading 61.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of €20.42.
Key valuation signals for STU:NSZ:
Piotroski F-Score: 8 (14% above median its 10-year median of 7.00)
GF Value™: €20.42 vs. price of €32.93 (61.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 60% above the Software median (#39 of 2741)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:NSZ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
NetScout Systems Inc is engaged in providing enterprise network observability, carrier service assurance, cybersecurity, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS), protection solutions. It bases its solutions on proprietary adaptive service intelligence technology, which helps customers monitor and identify performance issues and provides insight into network-based security threats. These solutions also deliver real-time and historical information, which provides insight to restore service and understand the quality of user experience. The company derives revenue from the sale of network management tools and security solutions. Its geographical regions include USA, which derives maximum revenue, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.
65GF Score
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