KLC (KinderCare Learning) Beneish M-Score: -2.63 (As of Aug. 27, 2026)

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KLC KinderCare Learning Companies Inc KLC
29 GF Score
Price $2.49
! 6 Warning Signs
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What is KinderCare Learning Beneish M-Score?

KinderCare Learning KLC -1.97% 29 Beneish M-Score is -2.63 as of Aug. 27, 2026. GuruFocus rates KLC with a GF Score™ of 29/100. The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 241 Education companies, KinderCare Learning ranks better than 51.45% 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 -2.63 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

KLC' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.83   Med: -2.24   Max: -1.73
Current: -2.63

During the past 8 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of KinderCare Learning was -1.73. The lowest was -2.83. And the median was -2.24.


KinderCare Learning Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for KinderCare Learning'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.

KinderCare Learning Beneish M-Score Chart

KinderCare Learning Annual Data
Trend Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial 0.00 -2.15 -1.73 -2.48 -2.26

KinderCare Learning Quarterly Data
Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Sep22 Dec22 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26 Jun26
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 -2.71 -2.83 -2.26 -2.54 -2.63

KLC vs GOTU, APEI, JDZG: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Education & Training Services subindustry, KinderCare Learning'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.


KinderCare Learning Beneish M-Score vs Education Industry

For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, KinderCare Learning's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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


KLC
29GF Score
KinderCare Learning Companies Inc KLC
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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KinderCare Learning 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 KinderCare Learning 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 * 1.0485+0.528 * 1.1969+0.404 * 0.8121+0.892 * 1.0179+0.115 * 0.9601
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.707+4.679 * -0.05074-0.327 * 1.1401
=-2.63

* 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 $120 Mil.
Revenue was 697.522 + 672.522 + 688.139 + 676.83 = $2,735 Mil.
Gross Profit was 130.088 + 121.599 + 138.813 + 133.691 = $524 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $342 Mil.
Total Assets was $3,404 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $1,866 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $126 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $291 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $459 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $2,337 Mil.
Net Income was -8.77 + -289.832 + -177.175 + 4.55 = $-471 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -18.581 + -292.382 + -196.034 + -1.06 = $-508 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 73.424 + 31.058 + 4.253 + 100.792 = $210 Mil.
Total Receivables was $113 Mil.
Revenue was 700.11 + 668.244 + 646.956 + 671.476 = $2,687 Mil.
Gross Profit was 180.633 + 152.056 + 133.261 + 150.383 = $616 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $276 Mil.
Total Assets was $3,791 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $1,875 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $121 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $404 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $420 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $2,312 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)
=(120.315 / 2735.013) / (112.73 / 2686.786)
=0.043991 / 0.041957
=1.0485

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)
=(616.333 / 2686.786) / (524.191 / 2735.013)
=0.229394 / 0.191659
=1.1969

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 - (342.056 + 1865.993) / 3403.567) / (1 - (276.378 + 1874.609) / 3790.512)
=0.351254 / 0.432534
=0.8121

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
=2735.013 / 2686.786
=1.0179

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))
=(120.905 / (120.905 + 1874.609)) / (125.692 / (125.692 + 1865.993))
=0.060588 / 0.063108
=0.9601

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)
=(291.054 / 2735.013) / (404.4 / 2686.786)
=0.106418 / 0.150514
=0.707

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)
=((2337.398 + 459.119) / 3403.567) / ((2311.535 + 420.23) / 3790.512)
=0.821643 / 0.720685
=1.1401

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
=(-471.227 - -508.057 - 209.527) / 3403.567
=-0.05074

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.

KinderCare Learning has a M-score of -2.63 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 -2.63 mean?
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.63 as of Aug. 27, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on KinderCare Learning and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #117 out of 241 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 48.5%.
Is KinderCare Learning's Beneish M-Score too high?
KinderCare Learning's current Beneish M-Score is -2.63. Based on the distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #117 out of 241 companies in the Education industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, KinderCare Learning has a GF Score™ of 29/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does KinderCare Learning's Beneish M-Score compare to GOTU and APEI?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #117 out of 241 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts KinderCare Learning 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 Education company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Education 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 KinderCare Learning and its competitors. KinderCare Learning's current Beneish M-Score is -2.63. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is KinderCare Learning stock overvalued right now?
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a current Beneish M-Score of -2.63. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.63. KinderCare Learning's overall GF Score™ is 29/100 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 KinderCare Learning (KLC), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.63 as of Aug. 27, 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.

KinderCare Learning Business Description

Address 5005 Meadows Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA, 97035
KinderCare Learning Companies Inc is a private provider of early childhood education and child care services, serving children from six weeks to twelve years through a nationwide network of centers and programs. The company operates through three consumer-facing brands: KinderCare Learning Centers, Creme School, and Champions. KinderCare Learning Centers provide community-based early education and care, Creme School offers premium early education with enrichment-focused programs, and Champions delivers before- and after-school and summer programs for school-aged children.
29GF Score

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

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