Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ) Beneish M-Score: -2.62 (As of Jun. 25, 2026)


ASX:MEZ Meridian Energy Ltd ASX:MEZ
68 GF Score
Price A$4.79
GF Value A$4.32
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 6 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score?

Meridian Energy ASX:MEZ +1.91% 68 Beneish M-Score is -2.62 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus rates ASX:MEZ with a GF Score™ of 68/100 and a GF Value™ of A$4.32 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 390 Utilities - Independent Power Producers companies, Meridian Energy ranks better than 52.31% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.62 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

The historical rank and industry rank for Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

ASX:MEZ' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.9   Med: -2.46   Max: -2.13
Current: -2.62

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Meridian Energy was -2.13. The lowest was -2.90. And the median was -2.46.


Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Meridian Energy's Beneish M-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.

Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score Chart

Meridian Energy Annual Data
Trend Jun16 Jun17 Jun18 Jun19 Jun20 Jun21 Jun22 Jun23 Jun24 Jun25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.20 -2.53 -2.90 -2.13 -2.62

Meridian Energy Semi-Annual Data
Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23 Jun24 Dec24 Jun25 Dec25
Beneish M-Score 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 0.00 -2.13 0.00 -2.62 0.00

Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score Competitor Comparison

For the Utilities - Renewable subindustry, Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-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.


Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score vs Utilities - Independent Power Producers Industry

For the Utilities - Independent Power Producers industry and Utilities sector, Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score falls into.


ASX:MEZ
68GF Score
Meridian Energy Ltd ASX:MEZ
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Meridian Energy Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Meridian Energy for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 0.7633+0.528 * 1+0.404 * 0.7899+0.892 * 0.995+0.115 * 0.8656
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.9325+4.679 * 0.031989-0.327 * 0.9428
=-2.62

* 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.

This Year (Jun25) TTM:Last Year (Jun24) TTM:
Total Receivables was A$376 Mil.
Revenue was A$4,444 Mil.
Gross Profit was A$4,444 Mil.
Total Current Assets was A$630 Mil.
Total Assets was A$13,881 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was A$13,007 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was A$413 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was A$115 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was A$959 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was A$1,112 Mil.
Net Income was A$-419 Mil.
Gross Profit was A$-1,158 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was A$295 Mil.
Total Receivables was A$496 Mil.
Revenue was A$4,466 Mil.
Gross Profit was A$4,466 Mil.
Total Current Assets was A$972 Mil.
Total Assets was A$12,520 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was A$11,271 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was A$309 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was A$124 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was A$928 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was A$1,054 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(376.352 / 4443.925) / (495.529 / 4466.228)
=0.084689 / 0.11095
=0.7633

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(4466.228 / 4466.228) / (4443.925 / 4443.925)
=1 / 1
=1

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (630.344 + 13007.334) / 13880.546) / (1 - (971.643 + 11271.425) / 12520.416)
=0.017497 / 0.022152
=0.7899

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=4443.925 / 4466.228
=0.995

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(308.781 / (308.781 + 11271.425)) / (413.432 / (413.432 + 13007.334))
=0.026665 / 0.030805
=0.8656

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(114.945 / 4443.925) / (123.882 / 4466.228)
=0.025866 / 0.027738
=0.9325

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((1112.372 + 959.421) / 13880.546) / ((1053.923 + 928.192) / 12520.416)
=0.149259 / 0.158311
=0.9428

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(-418.993 - -1157.794 - 294.779) / 13880.546
=0.031989

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Meridian Energy has a M-score of -2.62 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -2.62 mean?
Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.62 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Meridian Energy and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Meridian Energy ranks #186 out of 390 companies in the Utilities - Independent Power Producers industry, placing it in the top 47.7%.
Is Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score too high?
Meridian Energy's current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. Based on the distribution chart, Meridian Energy ranks #186 out of 390 companies in the Utilities - Independent Power Producers industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Meridian Energy has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Meridian Energy's Beneish M-Score compare to competitors?
According to the Utilities - Independent Power Producers industry distribution chart, Meridian Energy ranks #186 out of 390 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts Meridian Energy in the upper half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for an Utilities - Independent Power Producers company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Utilities - Independent Power Producers industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Meridian Energy and its competitors. Meridian Energy's current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Meridian Energy stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is A$4.32, compared to a current price of A$4.79 — trading 10.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. Meridian Energy's overall GF Score™ is 68/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.62 as of Jun. 25, 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 Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Meridian Energy stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of A$4.79 is trading 10.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of A$4.32. GuruFocus considers Meridian Energy to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for ASX:MEZ:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.62
  • GF Value™: A$4.32 vs. price of A$4.79 (10.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 68/100 with 6 warning signs

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


Meridian Energy Business Description

Address 98 Customhouse Quay, Level 2, Wellington, NZL, 6011
Meridian Energy is one of New Zealand's leading utilities. It is the largest electricity producer in the nation, with a third of the market, and the fourth-largest energy retailer, with about 15% of the market by customer numbers. It generates 100% renewable electricity, mainly from large hydroelectric schemes in the South Island. It also owns a geographically diversified portfolio of wind farms.
68GF Score

Get the complete analysis for ASX:MEZ

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

A$4.79
Price
A$4.32
GF Value