FACO (First Acceptance) Beneish M-Score: -2.10 (As of Aug. 01, 2026)

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FACO First Acceptance Corp FACO
68 GF Score
Price $5.41
GF Value $4.41
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 6 Warning Signs
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What is First Acceptance Beneish M-Score?

First Acceptance FACO 68 Beneish M-Score is -2.10 as of Aug. 01, 2026. GuruFocus rates FACO with a GF Score™ of 68/100 and a GF Value™ of $4.41 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 397 Insurance companies, First Acceptance ranks worse than 79.85% 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.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.1 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

FACO' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.84   Med: -2.26   Max: -1.5
Current: -2.1

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of First Acceptance was -1.50. The lowest was -2.84. And the median was -2.26.

FACO
68GF Score
First Acceptance Corp FACO
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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First Acceptance 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 First Acceptance 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 * 1.4293+0.528 * 1+0.404 * 1.0022+0.892 * 0.9265+0.115 * 1.1358
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.1991+4.679 * 0.003037-0.327 * 0.8265
=-2.10

* 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 (Mar26) TTM:Last Year (Mar25) TTM:
Total Receivables was $332.8 Mil.
Revenue was 118.376 + 99.914 + 140.683 + 140.656 = $499.6 Mil.
Gross Profit was 118.376 + 99.914 + 140.683 + 140.656 = $499.6 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $0.0 Mil.
Total Assets was $888.0 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $7.2 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $1.0 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $1.1 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $0.0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $45.3 Mil.
Net Income was 8.19 + 9.2 + 10.247 + 7.873 = $35.5 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = $0.0 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 1.932 + 17.425 + 3.578 + 9.878 = $32.8 Mil.
Total Receivables was $251.3 Mil.
Revenue was 125.087 + 127.232 + 129.257 + 157.675 = $539.3 Mil.
Gross Profit was 125.087 + 127.232 + 129.257 + 157.675 = $539.3 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $0.0 Mil.
Total Assets was $732.5 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $7.5 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $1.3 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $1.0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $0.0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $45.2 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)
=(332.802 / 499.629) / (251.315 / 539.251)
=0.666098 / 0.466045
=1.4293

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)
=(539.251 / 539.251) / (499.629 / 499.629)
=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 + 7.16) / 887.969) / (1 - (0 + 7.505) / 732.475)
=0.991937 / 0.989754
=1.0022

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
=499.629 / 539.251
=0.9265

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))
=(1.263 / (1.263 + 7.505)) / (1.04 / (1.04 + 7.16))
=0.144047 / 0.126829
=1.1358

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)
=(1.065 / 499.629) / (0.959 / 539.251)
=0.002132 / 0.001778
=1.1991

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)
=((45.33 + 0) / 887.969) / ((45.244 + 0) / 732.475)
=0.051049 / 0.061769
=0.8265

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
=(35.51 - 0 - 32.813) / 887.969
=0.003037

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.

First Acceptance has a M-score of -2.10 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 -2.10 mean?
First Acceptance (FACO) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.10 as of Aug. 01, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on First Acceptance and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, First Acceptance ranks #317 out of 397 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 79.8%.
Is First Acceptance's Beneish M-Score too high?
First Acceptance's current Beneish M-Score is -2.10. Based on the distribution chart, First Acceptance ranks #317 out of 397 companies in the Insurance industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, First Acceptance has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does First Acceptance's Beneish M-Score compare to JRVR and OSG?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, First Acceptance ranks #317 out of 397 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places First Acceptance 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 First Acceptance and its competitors. First Acceptance's current Beneish M-Score is -2.10. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is First Acceptance stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, First Acceptance (FACO) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $4.41, compared to a current price of $5.41 — trading 22.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.10. First Acceptance'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 First Acceptance (FACO), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.10 as of Aug. 01, 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 First Acceptance (FACO) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, First Acceptance stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $5.41 is trading 22.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $4.41. GuruFocus considers First Acceptance to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for FACO:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.10
  • GF Value™: $4.41 vs. price of $5.41 (22.7% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 68/100 with 6 warning signs

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


First Acceptance Business Description

Address 3813 Green Hills Village Drive, Nashville, TN, USA, 37215
First Acceptance Corp is engaged in the financial services sector. It is principally a retailer, servicer, and underwriter of non-standard personal automobile insurance. The company's operations generate revenue from selling non-standard personal automobile insurance products and related products in the United States. Its suite of products comprises auto insurance, renters, motorcycle, roadside assistance, and hospital insurance. the company also operates a real estate and corporate segment, which consists of the activities related to the disposition of foreclosed real estate held for sale, interest expenses associated with all debt, and other general corporate overhead expenses.
68GF Score

Get the complete analysis for FACO

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

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