LoblawTSX:L -0.24%92 Interest Coverage is 5.40 as of Mar. 2026, which is 19% above its 10-year median of 4.55. GuruFocus rates TSX:L with a GF Score™ of 92/100 and a GF Value™ of C$50.30 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 255 Retail - Defensive companies, Loblaw ranks worse than 61.96% 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. Loblaw's
Operating Income
for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was C$1,010 Mil. Loblaw's Interest Expense for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was C$-187 Mil.
Loblaw's interest coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 5.40.
The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.
The historical rank and industry rank for Loblaw's Interest Coverage or its related term are showing as below:
TSX:L'
s Interest Coverage Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.97 Med: 4.55 Max: 6.03
Current: 6.03
TSX:L's Interest Coverage is ranked worse than 61.96% of 255
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 8.8
vs TSX:L: 6.03
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 .
Loblaw Interest Coverage Related Terms
Loblaw Interest Coverage Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Loblaw'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.
TSX:L vs KR, SFM, ACI: Interest Coverage Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, Loblaw'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.
Loblaw Interest Coverage vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Loblaw's Interest Coverage distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Loblaw's Interest Coverage falls into.
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:
* 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.
Loblaw (TSX:L) has a Interest Coverage of 5.40 as of Mar. 2026. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on Loblaw and its competitors. This is 19% above median its historical median of 4.55. Over the past decade, Loblaw's Interest Coverage has ranged from 2.97 to 6.03. According to the industry distribution chart, Loblaw ranks #158 out of 255 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 62%.
Is Loblaw's Interest Coverage too high?
Loblaw's current Interest Coverage of 5.40 is 19% above median its 10-year median of 4.55. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.97 to a high of 6.03. The Retail - Defensive industry median Interest Coverage is 8.80. Loblaw's value of 5.40 is 38.6% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Loblaw ranks #158 out of 255 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Loblaw has a GF Score™ of 92/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Loblaw's Interest Coverage compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Loblaw ranks #158 out of 255 companies for Interest Coverage. This places Loblaw in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Interest Coverage is 8.80. Loblaw's value of 5.40 is 38.6% below this benchmark. Historically, Loblaw's own Interest Coverage has ranged from 2.97 to 6.03 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.55 vs. the industry median of 8.80, Loblaw 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 Interest Coverage for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median Interest Coverage among Retail - Defensive companies is 8.80, based on 255 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. Loblaw's current Interest Coverage of 5.40 is 38.6% 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 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 Loblaw and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Interest Coverage is 8.80 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Loblaw's current Interest Coverage is 5.40, which is 19% above median its own 10-year median of 4.55. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Loblaw stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Loblaw (TSX:L) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is C$50.30, compared to a current price of C$65.93 — trading 31.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Interest Coverage is 5.40, which is 19% above median its 10-year median of 4.55 and 38.6% below the Retail - Defensive industry median of 8.80. Loblaw's overall GF Score™ is 92/100 with 5 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 Loblaw (TSX:L), the current Interest Coverage is 5.40 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 Loblaw (TSX:L) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Loblaw stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of C$65.93 is trading 31.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of C$50.30.
GuruFocus considers Loblaw to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for TSX:L:
Interest Coverage: 5.40 (19% above median its 10-year median of 4.55)
GF Value™: C$50.30 vs. price of C$65.93 (31.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 38.6% below the Retail - Defensive median (#158 of 255)
No single metric tells the full story. See the TSX:L stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Loblaw is Canada's largest retailer, operating approximately 2,500 food retail and pharmacy stores across the country. Its main grocery banners include Loblaw, No Frills, and Maxi, and its pharmacy stores are mostly under the Shoppers Drug Mart banner, which it acquired in 2014. In addition to brand-name offerings, Loblaw offers private-label products under the President's Choice and No Name brands. Beyond retail, Loblaw runs the PC Optimum loyalty program, but announced plans to sell its financial services arm including credit cards and insurance brokerage to EQB in December 2025. George Weston is Loblaw's controlling shareholder with a 53% stake.
92GF Score
Get the complete analysis for TSX:L
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