Experian (LSE:EXPN) Beneish M-Score: -2.45 (As of Jun. 25, 2026)


LSE:EXPN Experian PLC LSE:EXPN
82 GF Score
Price £25.51
GF Value £39.47
Valuation Significantly Undervalued
! 1 Warning Sign
View Full Analysis

What is Experian Beneish M-Score?

Experian LSE:EXPN +1.23% 82 Beneish M-Score is -2.45 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus rates LSE:EXPN with a GF Score™ of 82/100 and a GF Value™ of £39.47 (Significantly Undervalued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 1,020 Business Services companies, Experian ranks worse than 58.53% 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 -2.45 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

LSE:EXPN' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.78   Med: -2.72   Max: -2.45
Current: -2.45

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Experian was -2.45. The lowest was -2.78. And the median was -2.72.


Experian Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Experian'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.

Experian Beneish M-Score Chart

Experian Annual Data
Trend Mar17 Mar18 Mar19 Mar20 Mar21 Mar22 Mar23 Mar24 Mar25 Mar26
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.53 -2.78 -2.71 -2.77 -2.45

Experian Semi-Annual Data
Sep16 Mar17 Sep17 Mar18 Sep18 Mar19 Sep19 Mar20 Sep20 Mar21 Sep21 Mar22 Sep22 Mar23 Sep23 Mar24 Sep24 Mar25 Sep25 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 -2.71 0.00 -2.77 0.00 -2.45

LSE:EXPN vs VRSK, EFX, BAH: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Consulting Services subindustry, Experian'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.


Experian Beneish M-Score vs Business Services Industry

For the Business Services industry and Industrials sector, Experian's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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


LSE:EXPN
82GF Score
Experian PLC LSE:EXPN
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Experian 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 Experian 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 * 1.2246+0.528 * 0.9936+0.404 * 0.9728+0.892 * 1.0877+0.115 * 0.9473
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.9905+4.679 * -0.051575-0.327 * 0.9798
=-2.45

* 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 £1,736 Mil.
Revenue was £6,334 Mil.
Gross Profit was £3,514 Mil.
Total Current Assets was £2,054 Mil.
Total Assets was £10,718 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was £253 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was £657 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was £447 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was £2,405 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was £3,499 Mil.
Net Income was £1,127 Mil.
Gross Profit was £0 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was £1,679 Mil.
Total Receivables was £1,303 Mil.
Revenue was £5,823 Mil.
Gross Profit was £3,210 Mil.
Total Current Assets was £1,657 Mil.
Total Assets was £9,974 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was £271 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was £587 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was £415 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was £2,324 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was £3,283 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)
=(1736.25 / 6333.75) / (1303.416 / 5822.802)
=0.274127 / 0.223847
=1.2246

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)
=(3209.778 / 5822.802) / (3513.75 / 6333.75)
=0.551243 / 0.554766
=0.9936

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 - (2054.25 + 252.75) / 10717.5) / (1 - (1657.134 + 270.9) / 9973.764)
=0.784745 / 0.806689
=0.9728

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
=6333.75 / 5822.802
=1.0877

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))
=(586.692 / (586.692 + 270.9)) / (657 / (657 + 252.75))
=0.684116 / 0.722176
=0.9473

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)
=(447 / 6333.75) / (414.864 / 5822.802)
=0.070574 / 0.071248
=0.9905

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)
=((3498.75 + 2404.5) / 10717.5) / ((3283.308 + 2323.548) / 9973.764)
=0.550805 / 0.56216
=0.9798

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
=(1126.5 - 0 - 1679.25) / 10717.5
=-0.051575

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.

Experian has a M-score of -2.45 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 -2.45 mean?
Experian (LSE:EXPN) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.45 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Experian and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Experian ranks #597 out of 1020 companies in the Business Services industry, placing it in the top 58.5%.
Is Experian's Beneish M-Score too high?
Experian's current Beneish M-Score is -2.45. Based on the distribution chart, Experian ranks #597 out of 1020 companies in the Business Services industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Experian has a GF Score™ of 82/100 and is considered Significantly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Experian's Beneish M-Score compare to VRSK and EFX?
According to the Business Services industry distribution chart, Experian ranks #597 out of 1020 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Experian 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 Business Services company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Business Services 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 Experian and its competitors. Experian's current Beneish M-Score is -2.45. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Experian stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Experian (LSE:EXPN) is currently considered Significantly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is £39.47, compared to a current price of £25.51 — trading 35.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.45. Experian's overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 1 warning sign 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 Experian (LSE:EXPN), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.45 as of Jun. 25, 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 Experian (LSE:EXPN) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Experian stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of £25.51 is trading 35.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of £39.47. GuruFocus considers Experian to be Significantly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for LSE:EXPN:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.45
  • GF Value™: £39.47 vs. price of £25.51 (35.4% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 82/100 with 1 warning sign

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


Experian Business Description

Address Fenian Street, 2 Cumberland Place, Dublin 2, IRL, D02 HY05
Experian is one of the leading credit bureaus in North America and the United Kingdom, providing the consumer information that is the basis for making lending decisions. The company also provides decision analytics, marketing data, and direct-to-consumer credit products and services. Roughly one quarter of the company's revenue is generated outside of North America and the United Kingdom, primarily in Latin America and Asia.
82GF Score

Get the complete analysis for LSE:EXPN

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

£25.51
Price
£39.47
GF Value