ESNT (Essent Group) Beneish M-Score: -0.54 (As of Aug. 15, 2026)

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ESNT Essent Group Ltd ESNT
89 GF Score
Price $69.57
GF Value $71.63
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 5 Warning Signs
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What is Essent Group Beneish M-Score?

Essent Group ESNT +0.42% 89 Beneish M-Score is -0.54 as of Aug. 15, 2026. GuruFocus rates ESNT with a GF Score™ of 89/100 and a GF Value™ of $71.63 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 402 Insurance companies, Essent Group ranks worse than 94.53% on this metric.

Note: Financial institutions were excluded from the sample in Beneish paper when calculating Beneish M-Score. Thus, the prediction might not fit banks and insurance companies.

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.

Warning Sign:

Beneish M-Score -0.54 higher than -1.78, which implies that the company might have manipulated its financial results.

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

ESNT' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.62   Med: -1.77   Max: -0.54
Current: -0.54

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Essent Group was -0.54. The lowest was -2.62. And the median was -1.77.

ESNT
89GF Score
Essent Group Ltd ESNT
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Essent Group 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 Essent Group 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 * 3.1088+0.528 * 1+0.404 * 0.9996+0.892 * 1.0434+0.115 * 1.2483
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.8753+4.679 * -0.023203-0.327 * 0.9537
=-0.54

* 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 (Jun26) TTM:Last Year (Jun25) TTM:
Total Receivables was $170 Mil.
Revenue was 362.686 + 336.072 + 319.35 + 318.725 = $1,337 Mil.
Gross Profit was 362.686 + 336.072 + 319.35 + 318.725 = $1,337 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $0 Mil.
Total Assets was $7,592 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $48 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $5 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $127 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $496 Mil.
Net Income was 189.714 + 171.799 + 154.982 + 164.215 = $681 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 5.036 + 6.692 + 6.698 + 4.358 = $23 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 197.09 + 192.044 + 229.092 + 215.857 = $834 Mil.
 Total Receivables was $52 Mil.
Revenue was 319.143 + 317.558 + 321.574 + 323.011 = $1,281 Mil.
Gross Profit was 319.143 + 317.558 + 321.574 + 323.011 = $1,281 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $0 Mil.
Total Assets was $7,221 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $42 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $6 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $139 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $495 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)
=(169.772 / 1336.833) / (52.34 / 1281.286)
=0.126996 / 0.04085
=3.1088

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)
=(1281.286 / 1281.286) / (1336.833 / 1336.833)
=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 - (0 + 47.753) / 7591.882) / (1 - (0 + 42.434) / 7220.561)
=0.99371 / 0.994123
=0.9996

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
=1336.833 / 1281.286
=1.0434

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))
=(5.638 / (5.638 + 42.434)) / (4.952 / (4.952 + 47.753))
=0.117282 / 0.093957
=1.2483

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)
=(126.698 / 1336.833) / (138.73 / 1281.286)
=0.094775 / 0.108274
=0.8753

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)
=((495.972 + 0) / 7591.882) / ((494.63 + 0) / 7220.561)
=0.065329 / 0.068503
=0.9537

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
=(680.71 - 22.784 - 834.083) / 7591.882
=-0.023203

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.

Essent Group has a M-score of -0.54 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -0.54 mean?
Essent Group (ESNT) has a Beneish M-Score of -0.54 as of Aug. 15, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Essent Group and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Essent Group ranks #380 out of 402 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 94.5%.
Is Essent Group's Beneish M-Score too high?
Essent Group's current Beneish M-Score is -0.54. Based on the distribution chart, Essent Group ranks #380 out of 402 companies in the Insurance industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Essent Group has a GF Score™ of 89/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Essent Group's Beneish M-Score compare to MTG and ACT?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, Essent Group ranks #380 out of 402 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Essent Group in the lower 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 Insurance company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Insurance 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 Essent Group and its competitors. Essent Group's current Beneish M-Score is -0.54. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Essent Group stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Essent Group (ESNT) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $71.63, compared to a current price of $69.57 — trading 2.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -0.54. Essent Group's overall GF Score™ is 89/100 with 5 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 Essent Group (ESNT), the current Beneish M-Score is -0.54 as of Aug. 15, 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 Essent Group (ESNT) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Essent Group stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $69.57 is trading 2.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $71.63. GuruFocus considers Essent Group to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for ESNT:

  • Beneish M-Score: -0.54
  • GF Value™: $71.63 vs. price of $69.57 (2.9% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 89/100 with 5 warning signs

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

Essent Group Business Description

Other Exchanges 0U95:UKEG0:Germany
Address 2 Church Street, Clarendon House, Hamilton, BMU, HM 11
Essent Group Ltd serves the housing finance industry by providing private mortgage insurance, reinsurance, risk management products, title insurance, and settlement services to mortgage lenders, borrowers, and investors to support homeownership. It provides credit protection to lenders and mortgage investors by covering a portion of the unpaid principal balance of a mortgage and certain related expenses in the event of a default. By providing capital to mitigate mortgage credit risk, the company allows lenders to make additional mortgage financing available to prospective homeowners.
89GF Score

Get the complete analysis for ESNT

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

$69.57
Price
$71.63
GF Value