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 -2.6 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
The historical rank and industry rank for Cleveland-Cliffs's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:
FRA:CVA'
s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -4.17 Med: -1.89 Max: 6.19
Current: -2.6
During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Cleveland-Cliffs was 6.19. The lowest was -4.17. And the median was -1.89.
Cleveland-Cliffs Beneish M-Score Related Terms
Cleveland-Cliffs Beneish M-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Cleveland-Cliffs'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.
FRA:CVA vs TX, WS, NWPX: Beneish M-Score Comparison
For the Steel subindustry, Cleveland-Cliffs'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.
Cleveland-Cliffs Beneish M-Score vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Cleveland-Cliffs's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cleveland-Cliffs's Beneish M-Score falls into.
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 Cleveland-Cliffs 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 * 1.0395
+
0.528 * 1.1528
+
0.404 * 1.032
+
0.892 * 0.9416
+
0.115 * 0.8154
-
0.172 * SGAI
+
4.679 * TATA
-
0.327 * LVGI
-
0.172 * 1.0814
+
4.679 * -0.041071
-
0.327 * 1.0567
=
-2.65
* 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.
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.
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))
=
(930.787 / (930.787 + 9062.225))
/
(1042.43 / (1042.43 + 8083.425))
=
0.093144
/
0.114228
=
0.8154
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
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
=
(-1045.14 - 44.518
-
-375.048)
/
17399.475
=
-0.041071
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.
Cleveland-Cliffs has a M-score of -2.65 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
Cleveland-Cliffs (FRA:CVA) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.60 as of Jun. 26, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Cleveland-Cliffs and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Cleveland-Cliffs ranks #251 out of 592 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 42.4%.
Is Cleveland-Cliffs' Beneish M-Score too high?
Cleveland-Cliffs' current Beneish M-Score is -2.60. Based on the distribution chart, Cleveland-Cliffs ranks #251 out of 592 companies in the Steel industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Cleveland-Cliffs has a GF Score™ of 75/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cleveland-Cliffs' Beneish M-Score compare to TX and WS?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Cleveland-Cliffs ranks #251 out of 592 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts Cleveland-Cliffs 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 a Steel company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Steel 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 Cleveland-Cliffs and its competitors. Cleveland-Cliffs's current Beneish M-Score is -2.60. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cleveland-Cliffs stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cleveland-Cliffs (FRA:CVA) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €10.22, compared to a current price of €9.27 — trading 9.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.60. Cleveland-Cliffs' overall GF Score™ is 75/100 with 7 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 Cleveland-Cliffs (FRA:CVA), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.60 as of Jun. 26, 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 Cleveland-Cliffs (FRA:CVA) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cleveland-Cliffs stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €9.27 is trading 9.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of €10.22.
GuruFocus considers Cleveland-Cliffs to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for FRA:CVA:
Beneish M-Score: -2.60
GF Value™: €10.22 vs. price of €9.27 (9.3% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:CVA stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc is a flat-rolled steel producer and manufacturer of iron ore pellets in North America. It is organized into four operating segments based on differentiated products, Steelmaking, Tubular, Tooling and Stamping and European Operations, but operates through one reportable segment -Steelmaking. It is vertically integrated from mined raw materials, direct reduced iron, and ferrous scrap to primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling and tubing. It serves a diverse range of other markets due to its comprehensive offering of flat-rolled steel products. Geographically, it operates in the United States, Canada and other countries. The majority of revenue is from the United States. It is a supplier of steel to the automotive industry in North America.
75GF Score
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