KTB (Kontoor Brands) Beneish M-Score: -2.25 (As of Jun. 24, 2026)


KTB Kontoor Brands Inc KTB
80 GF Score
Price $78.00
GF Value $73.85
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 4 Warning Signs
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What is Kontoor Brands Beneish M-Score?

Kontoor Brands KTB +1.51% 80 Beneish M-Score is -2.25 as of Jun. 24, 2026. GuruFocus rates KTB with a GF Score™ of 80/100 and a GF Value™ of $73.85 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,003 Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories companies, Kontoor Brands ranks worse than 67.1% 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 -2.25 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

KTB' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -5.74   Med: -2.66   Max: -1.73
Current: -2.25

During the past 10 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Kontoor Brands was -1.73. The lowest was -5.74. And the median was -2.66.


Kontoor Brands Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Kontoor Brands'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.

Kontoor Brands Beneish M-Score Chart

Kontoor Brands Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.56 -2.15 -2.80 -2.74 -2.43

Kontoor Brands Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
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 -3.04 -1.87 -1.73 -2.43 -2.25

KTB vs ZGN, PVH, COLM: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Apparel Manufacturing subindustry, Kontoor Brands'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.


Kontoor Brands Beneish M-Score vs Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories Industry

For the Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Kontoor Brands's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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


KTB
80GF Score
Kontoor Brands Inc KTB
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Kontoor Brands 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 Kontoor Brands 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 * 0.8981+0.528 * 0.9611+0.404 * 1.874+0.892 * 1.3099+0.115 * 1.1254
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.0768+4.679 * -0.061704-0.327 * 0.9985
=-2.25

* 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 $245 Mil.
Revenue was 613.322 + 1018.081 + 853.215 + 658.259 = $3,143 Mil.
Gross Profit was 329.374 + 470.755 + 352.161 + 304.837 = $1,457 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $1,123 Mil.
Total Assets was $2,650 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $237 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $54 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $1,100 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $601 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $1,232 Mil.
Net Income was 92.439 + 73.757 + 36.944 + 73.869 = $277 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -2.602 + -5.095 + -5.979 + 29.761 = $16 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 46.261 + 288.355 + 64.146 + 25.683 = $424 Mil.
Total Receivables was $208 Mil.
Revenue was 423.001 + 699.284 + 670.194 + 606.898 = $2,399 Mil.
Gross Profit was 192.734 + 305.556 + 299.51 + 271.36 = $1,069 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $1,088 Mil.
Total Assets was $1,676 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $153 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $40 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $780 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $391 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $770 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)
=(244.996 / 3142.877) / (208.261 / 2399.377)
=0.077953 / 0.086798
=0.8981

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)
=(1069.16 / 2399.377) / (1457.127 / 3142.877)
=0.445599 / 0.463628
=0.9611

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 - (1123.399 + 236.85) / 2650.075) / (1 - (1087.778 + 152.694) / 1675.679)
=0.486713 / 0.25972
=1.874

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
=3142.877 / 2399.377
=1.3099

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))
=(40.479 / (40.479 + 152.694)) / (54.189 / (54.189 + 236.85))
=0.209548 / 0.186192
=1.1254

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)
=(1099.884 / 3142.877) / (779.836 / 2399.377)
=0.349961 / 0.325016
=1.0768

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)
=((1232.487 + 601.016) / 2650.075) / ((769.962 + 391.14) / 1675.679)
=0.691868 / 0.692914
=0.9985

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
=(277.009 - 16.085 - 424.445) / 2650.075
=-0.061704

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.

Kontoor Brands has a M-score of -2.25 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 -2.25 mean?
Kontoor Brands (KTB) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.25 as of Jun. 24, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Kontoor Brands and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Kontoor Brands ranks #673 out of 1003 companies in the Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories industry, placing it in the top 67.1%.
Is Kontoor Brands' Beneish M-Score too high?
Kontoor Brands' current Beneish M-Score is -2.25. Based on the distribution chart, Kontoor Brands ranks #673 out of 1003 companies in the Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Kontoor Brands has a GF Score™ of 80/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kontoor Brands' Beneish M-Score compare to ZGN and PVH?
According to the Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories industry distribution chart, Kontoor Brands ranks #673 out of 1003 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Kontoor Brands 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 Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Manufacturing - Apparel & Accessories 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 Kontoor Brands and its competitors. Kontoor Brands's current Beneish M-Score is -2.25. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kontoor Brands stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kontoor Brands (KTB) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $73.85, compared to a current price of $78.00 — trading 5.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.25. Kontoor Brands' overall GF Score™ is 80/100 with 4 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 Kontoor Brands (KTB), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.25 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 Kontoor Brands (KTB) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kontoor Brands stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $78.00 is trading 5.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of $73.85. GuruFocus considers Kontoor Brands to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for KTB:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.25
  • GF Value™: $73.85 vs. price of $78.00 (5.6% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 80/100 with 4 warning signs

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


Kontoor Brands Business Description

Other Exchanges 3KO:Germany
Address 400 N. Elm Street, Greensboro, NC, USA, 27401
Kontoor Brands Inc is a lifestyle apparel company. It designs, manufactures, procures, sells, and licenses apparel, footwear, and accessories, mainly under the brand names Wrangler, Lee, Helly Hansen, and a few other brands. The company also licenses the use of its brands in certain regions. Its products are sold through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels in the United States (its key revenue-generating market) and internationally, mainly in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Non-U.S. Americas regions. The company's three reportable segments are Wrangler, Lee, and Helly Hansen. The majority of its revenue is generated from the Wrangler segment, which offers denim, apparel, footwear, and accessories through Wrangler and various sub-brands.
80GF Score

Get the complete analysis for KTB

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

$78.00
Price
$73.85
GF Value