HOV (Hovnanian Enterprises) Beneish M-Score: -2.00 (As of Jun. 24, 2026)


HOV Hovnanian Enterprises Inc HOV
68 GF Score
Price $141.91
GF Value $124.94
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is Hovnanian Enterprises Beneish M-Score?

Hovnanian Enterprises HOV +11.31% 68 Beneish M-Score is -2.00 as of Jun. 24, 2026. GuruFocus rates HOV with a GF Score™ of 68/100 and a GF Value™ of $124.94 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 89 Homebuilding & Construction companies, Hovnanian Enterprises ranks worse than 66.29% 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 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

HOV' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -4.97   Med: -2.58   Max: -0.49
Current: -2

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Hovnanian Enterprises was -0.49. The lowest was -4.97. And the median was -2.58.


Hovnanian Enterprises Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Hovnanian Enterprises'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.

Hovnanian Enterprises Beneish M-Score Chart

Hovnanian Enterprises Annual Data
Trend Oct16 Oct17 Oct18 Oct19 Oct20 Oct21 Oct22 Oct23 Oct24 Oct25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -1.11 -2.37 -3.20 -2.10 -2.73

Hovnanian Enterprises Quarterly Data
Jul21 Oct21 Jan22 Apr22 Jul22 Oct22 Jan23 Apr23 Jul23 Oct23 Jan24 Apr24 Jul24 Oct24 Jan25 Apr25 Jul25 Oct25 Jan26 Apr26
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 -2.18 -2.72 -2.73 -3.45 -2.00

HOV vs BZH, LEGH, LGIH: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Residential Construction subindustry, Hovnanian Enterprises'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.


Hovnanian Enterprises Beneish M-Score vs Homebuilding & Construction Industry

For the Homebuilding & Construction industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Hovnanian Enterprises's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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


HOV
68GF Score
Hovnanian Enterprises Inc HOV
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Hovnanian Enterprises 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 Hovnanian Enterprises 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 * 2.0118+0.528 * 1.3194+0.404 * 0.9402+0.892 * 0.9529+0.115 * 0.7674
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.0667+4.679 * -0.107497-0.327 * 1.0245
=-2.00

* 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 (Apr26) TTM:Last Year (Apr25) TTM:
Total Receivables was $47 Mil.
Revenue was 667.645 + 631.952 + 817.904 + 800.583 = $2,918 Mil.
Gross Profit was 98.507 + 90.136 + 100.175 + 106.699 = $396 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $2,092 Mil.
Total Assets was $2,829 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $56 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $15 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $350 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $676 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $935 Mil.
Net Income was -0.284 + 20.859 + -0.667 + 16.615 = $37 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -1.681 + 34.723 + -3.123 + 15.051 = $45 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was -67.097 + 140.886 + 169.074 + 52.781 = $296 Mil.
Total Receivables was $25 Mil.
Revenue was 686.471 + 673.623 + 979.638 + 722.704 = $3,062 Mil.
Gross Profit was 107.297 + 106.5 + 196.249 + 137.595 = $548 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $1,852 Mil.
Total Assets was $2,553 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $48 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $9 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $345 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $477 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $942 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)
=(47.368 / 2918.084) / (24.712 / 3062.436)
=0.016233 / 0.008069
=2.0118

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)
=(547.641 / 3062.436) / (395.517 / 2918.084)
=0.178825 / 0.13554
=1.3194

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 - (2091.815 + 56.011) / 2828.824) / (1 - (1851.688 + 47.73) / 2553.099)
=0.240735 / 0.256034
=0.9402

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
=2918.084 / 3062.436
=0.9529

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))
=(9.439 / (9.439 + 47.73)) / (15.355 / (15.355 + 56.011))
=0.165107 / 0.215158
=0.7674

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)
=(350.325 / 2918.084) / (344.659 / 3062.436)
=0.120053 / 0.112544
=1.0667

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)
=((934.603 + 676.164) / 2828.824) / ((942.372 + 476.686) / 2553.099)
=0.569412 / 0.555818
=1.0245

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
=(36.523 - 44.97 - 295.644) / 2828.824
=-0.107497

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.

Hovnanian Enterprises has a M-score of -2.00 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 -2.00 mean?
Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.00 as of Jun. 24, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Hovnanian Enterprises and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Hovnanian Enterprises ranks #59 out of 89 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry, placing it in the top 66.3%.
Is Hovnanian Enterprises' Beneish M-Score too high?
Hovnanian Enterprises' current Beneish M-Score is -2.00. Based on the distribution chart, Hovnanian Enterprises ranks #59 out of 89 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Hovnanian Enterprises has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Hovnanian Enterprises' Beneish M-Score compare to BZH and LEGH?
According to the Homebuilding & Construction industry distribution chart, Hovnanian Enterprises ranks #59 out of 89 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Hovnanian Enterprises 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 a Homebuilding & Construction company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Homebuilding & Construction 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 Hovnanian Enterprises and its competitors. Hovnanian Enterprises's current Beneish M-Score is -2.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Hovnanian Enterprises stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $124.94, compared to a current price of $141.91 — trading 13.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.00. Hovnanian Enterprises' overall GF Score™ is 68/100 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 Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.00 as of Jun. 24, 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 Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hovnanian Enterprises stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $141.91 is trading 13.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of $124.94. GuruFocus considers Hovnanian Enterprises to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for HOV:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.00
  • GF Value™: $124.94 vs. price of $141.91 (13.6% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 68/100 with 7 warning signs

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


Hovnanian Enterprises Business Description

Other Exchanges HOVVB:USAHOVNP.PFD:USA
Address 90 Matawan Road, Fifth Floor, Matawan, NJ, USA, 07747
Hovnanian Enterprises Inc conducts all of its homebuilding and financial services operations. The company designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes in planned residential developments. It has two distinct operations: homebuilding and financial services. Its homebuilding operations are divided geographically into three segments: Northeast, which includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; Southeast, which includes Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; and West, which includes Arizona, California, and Texas. The firm generates maximum revenue from the West Segment.
68GF Score

Get the complete analysis for HOV

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

$141.91
Price
$124.94
GF Value