KT&G (LUX:KT&GC) Interest Coverage: 17.88 (As of Mar. 2026) — 85% Below Median

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LUX:KT&GC KT&G Corp LUX:KT&GC
91 GF Score
Price $31.80
GF Value $23.37
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is KT&G Interest Coverage?

KT&G LUX:KT&GC 91 Interest Coverage is 17.88 as of Mar. 2026, which is 85% below its 10-year median of 121.52. GuruFocus rates LUX:KT&GC with a GF Score™ of 91/100 and a GF Value™ of $23.37. The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 35 Tobacco Products companies, KT&G ranks better than 54.29% on this metric.

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income by its Interest Expense. KT&G's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $245 Mil. KT&G's Interest Expense for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $-14 Mil. KT&G's interest coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 17.88. The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.

The historical rank and industry rank for KT&G's Interest Coverage or its related term are showing as below:

LUX:KT&GC' s Interest Coverage Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 17.31   Med: 121.52   Max: 245.37
Current: 17.31


LUX:KT&GC's Interest Coverage is ranked better than
54.29% of 35 companies
in the Tobacco Products industry
Industry Median: 10.9 vs LUX:KT&GC: 17.31

Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.


KT&G  (LUX:KT&GC) Interest Coverage Explanation

Ben Graham requires that a company has a minimum interest coverage of 5 with the companies he invested. If the interest coverage is less than 2, the company is burdened by debt. Any business slow or recession may drag the company into a situation where it cannot pay the interest on its debt.

Interest Coverage is an important factor when GuruFocus ranks a company's overage Financial Strength .


KT&G Interest Coverage Related Terms


KT&G Interest Coverage Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for KT&G's Interest Coverage 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.

Note: For Interest Coverage, "No debt" indicates no long-term debt. An indication of "No Debt" does not necessarily mean that the company has no long-term debt obligations; it could be due to missing data in the quarterly or annual report. Use caution when interpreting this information.

KT&G Interest Coverage Chart

KT&G Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Interest Coverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 75.01 36.46 25.54 28.24 18.09

KT&G Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Interest Coverage 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 22.90 18.91 23.04 10.52 17.88

LUX:KT&GC vs PM, MO, TPB: Interest Coverage Comparison

For the Tobacco subindustry, KT&G's Interest Coverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Interest Coverage 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.


KT&G Interest Coverage vs Tobacco Products Industry

For the Tobacco Products industry and Consumer Defensive sector, KT&G's Interest Coverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where KT&G's Interest Coverage falls into.


LUX:KT&GC
91GF Score
KT&G Corp LUX:KT&GC
Interest Coverage is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

KT&G Interest Coverage Calculation

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:

If Interest Expense is negative and Operating Income is positive, then

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income /Interest Expense

Else if Interest Expense is negative and Operating Income is negative, then

The company did not have earnings to cover the interest expense.

Else if Interest Expense is 0 and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation is 0, then

The company had no debt (1).


Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.

KT&G's Interest Coverage for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Here, for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025, KT&G's Interest Expense was $-51 Mil. Its Operating Income was $917 Mil. And its Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $725 Mil.

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income (A: Dec. 2025 )/Interest Expense (A: Dec. 2025 )
=-1*916.956/-50.684
=18.09

KT&G's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as

Here, for the three months ended in Mar. 2026, KT&G's Interest Expense was $-14 Mil. Its Operating Income was $245 Mil. And its Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $729 Mil.

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income (Q: Mar. 2026 )/Interest Expense (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=-1*244.57/-13.678
=17.88

* 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 higher the ratio, the stronger the company's Financial Strength is.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Interest Coverage →
What does a Interest Coverage of 17.88 mean?
KT&G (LUX:KT&GC) has a Interest Coverage of 17.88 as of Mar. 2026. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on KT&G and its competitors. This is 85% below median its historical median of 121.52. Over the past decade, KT&G's Interest Coverage has ranged from 17.31 to 245.37. According to the industry distribution chart, KT&G ranks #16 out of 35 companies in the Tobacco Products industry, placing it in the top 45.7%.
Is KT&G's Interest Coverage too high?
KT&G's current Interest Coverage of 17.88 is 85% below median its 10-year median of 121.52. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 17.31 to a high of 245.37. The Tobacco Products industry median Interest Coverage is 10.90. KT&G's value of 17.88 is 64% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, KT&G ranks #16 out of 35 companies in the Tobacco Products industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, KT&G has a GF Score™ of 91/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does KT&G's Interest Coverage compare to PM and MO?
According to the Tobacco Products industry distribution chart, KT&G ranks #16 out of 35 companies for Interest Coverage. This puts KT&G in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Interest Coverage is 10.90. KT&G's value of 17.88 is 64% above this benchmark. Historically, KT&G's own Interest Coverage has ranged from 17.31 to 245.37 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 121.52 vs. the industry median of 10.90, KT&G 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 Interest Coverage for a Tobacco Products company?
The median Interest Coverage among Tobacco Products companies is 10.90, based on 35 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Interest Coverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Interest Coverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. KT&G's current Interest Coverage of 17.88 is 64% 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 Interest Coverage mean?
A high Interest Coverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on KT&G and its competitors. For the Tobacco Products industry, the median Interest Coverage is 10.90 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. KT&G's current Interest Coverage is 17.88, which is 85% below median its own 10-year median of 121.52. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is KT&G stock overvalued right now?
KT&G (LUX:KT&GC) has a current Interest Coverage of 17.88. The stock's GF Value™ is $23.37, compared to a current price of $31.80 — trading 36.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Interest Coverage is 17.88, which is 85% below median its 10-year median of 121.52 and 64% above the Tobacco Products industry median of 10.90. KT&G's overall GF Score™ is 91/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Interest Coverage calculated?
Interest Coverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For KT&G (LUX:KT&GC), the current Interest Coverage is 17.88 as of Mar. 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 KT&G (LUX:KT&GC) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, KT&G stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $31.80 is trading 36.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $23.37.

Key valuation signals for LUX:KT&GC:

  • Interest Coverage: 17.88 (85% below median its 10-year median of 121.52)
  • GF Value™: $23.37 vs. price of $31.80 (36.1% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 91/100 with 7 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 64% above the Tobacco Products median (#16 of 35)

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


KT&G Business Description

Other Exchanges 033780:Korea
Address 71, Beotkkot-gil, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, KOR, 34618
KT&G Corp manufactures and sells tobacco products in South Korea. Its flagship cigarette brand is Esse. Other brands include This, The One, Bohem, and Raison. The company has four reportable divisions: Tobacco Business, Ginseng Business, Real Estate Business, and Other Business divisions. The Tobacco division handles tobacco manufacturing and sales, the Ginseng division focuses on manufacturing and sales of red ginseng products, the Real Estate division engages in real estate sales and rental activities, and the Other Business division includes manufacturing and sales of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Tobacco Business.
91GF Score

Get the complete analysis for LUX:KT&GC

Interest Coverage is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$31.80
Price
$23.37
GF Value