Gen Digital (LTS:0AD5) Beneish M-Score: -2.08 (As of Jul. 14, 2026)

Author:

Vera Yuan

Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus

Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.

View Profile →

Reviewed by:

Charlie Tian

Founder & CEO of GuruFocus

Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

View Profile →

Gen Digital Inc LTS:0AD5

85 GF Score

Price $26.95

GF Value $33.59

Valuation Modestly Undervalued

4 Warning Signs

View Full Analysis

What is Gen Digital Beneish M-Score?

Gen Digital LTS:0AD5 85 Beneish M-Score is -2.08 as of Jul. 14, 2026. GuruFocus rates LTS:0AD5 with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of $33.59 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,631 Software companies, Gen Digital ranks worse than 73.96% 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 -2.08 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

LTS:0AD5' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.94 Med: -2.39 Max: -0.75
Current: -2.08

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Gen Digital was -0.75. The lowest was -2.94. And the median was -2.39.

Gen Digital Beneish M-Score Related Terms

Gen Digital Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Gen Digital'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.

Gen Digital Beneish M-Score Chart

Gen Digital Annual Data

Trend

Mar17

Mar18

Mar19

Mar20

Mar21

Mar22

Mar23

Mar24

Mar25

Mar26

Beneish M-Score

Get a 7-Day Free Trial

-2.94

-1.52

-2.81

-2.80

-2.08

Gen Digital 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															-2.80	-2.59	-2.65	-2.44	-2.08

LTS:0AD5 vs RBRK, DOCN, TOST: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Software - Infrastructure subindustry, Gen Digital'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.

Gen Digital Beneish M-Score vs Software Industry

For the Software industry and Technology sector, Gen Digital's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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

Save Embed

85GF Score

Gen Digital Inc LTS:0AD5

Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.

View Full Analysis

Gen Digital 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 Gen Digital for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

-4.84

0.92 * DSRI

0.528 * GMI

0.404 * AQI

0.892 * SGI

0.115 * DEPI

-4.84

0.92 * 1.2706

0.528 * 1.0232

0.404 * 1.0254

0.892 * 1.2706

0.115 * 0.9948

0.172 * SGAI

4.679 * TATA

0.327 * LVGI

0.172 * 0.8668

4.679 * -0.030855

0.327 * 0.9856

-2.08

This Year (Mar26) TTM:

Last Year (Mar25) TTM:

Total Receivables was $423 Mil.
Revenue was 1283 + 1240 + 1220 + 1257 = $5,000 Mil.
Gross Profit was 1007 + 972 + 954 + 990 = $3,923 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $1,081 Mil.
Total Assets was $15,589 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $125 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $493 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $1,141 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $2,710 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $8,060 Mil.
Net Income was 512 + 192 + 134 + 135 = $973 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -19 + -3 + -69 + 0 = $-91 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 479 + 541 + 116 + 409 = $1,545 Mil.

Total Receivables was $262 Mil.
Revenue was 1010 + 986 + 974 + 965 = $3,935 Mil.
Gross Profit was 811 + 793 + 780 + 775 = $3,159 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $1,444 Mil.
Total Assets was $15,495 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $109 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $419 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $1,036 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $2,851 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $8,010 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)
	=	(423 / 5000)	/	(262 / 3935)
	=	0.0846	/	0.066582
	=	1.2706

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)
	=	(3159 / 3935)	/	(3923 / 5000)
	=	0.802795	/	0.7846
	=	1.0232

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 - (1081 + 125) / 15589)	/	(1 - (1444 + 109) / 15495)
	=	0.922638	/	0.899774
	=	1.0254

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
	=	5000	/	3935
	=	1.2706

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))
	=	(419 / (419 + 109))	/	(493 / (493 + 125))
	=	0.793561	/	0.797735
	=	0.9948

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)
	=	(1141 / 5000)	/	(1036 / 3935)
	=	0.2282	/	0.263278
	=	0.8668

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)
	=	((8060 + 2710) / 15589)	/	((8010 + 2851) / 15495)
	=	0.690872	/	0.700936
	=	0.9856

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
	=	(973 - -91	-	1545)	/	15589
	=	-0.030855

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.

Gen Digital has a M-score of -2.08 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 -2.08 mean?

Gen Digital (LTS:0AD5) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.08 as of Jul. 14, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Gen Digital and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Gen Digital ranks #1946 out of 2631 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 74%.

Is Gen Digital's Beneish M-Score too high?

Gen Digital's current Beneish M-Score is -2.08. Based on the distribution chart, Gen Digital ranks #1946 out of 2631 companies in the Software industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Gen Digital has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.

How does Gen Digital's Beneish M-Score compare to RBRK and DOCN?

According to the Software industry distribution chart, Gen Digital ranks #1946 out of 2631 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Gen Digital 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 Software company?

A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Software 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 Gen Digital and its competitors. Gen Digital's current Beneish M-Score is -2.08. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.

Is Gen Digital stock overvalued right now?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Gen Digital (LTS:0AD5) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $33.59, compared to a current price of $26.95 — trading 19.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.08. Gen Digital's overall GF Score™ is 85/100 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 Gen Digital (LTS:0AD5), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.08 as of Jul. 14, 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 Gen Digital (LTS:0AD5) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Gen Digital stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $26.95 is trading 19.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $33.59. GuruFocus considers Gen Digital to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for LTS:0AD5:

Beneish M-Score: -2.08
GF Value™: $33.59 vs. price of $26.95 (19.8% below fair value)
GF Score™: 85/100 with 4 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the LTS:0AD5 stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.

Gen Digital Business Description

Industry Technology Software

Comparable Companies RBRK DOCN TOST CHKP NTNX AKAM IOT GDDY CORZ ZS MSFT ORCL PLTR PANW CRWD HKSE:02513 FTNT SNPS NET CRWV

Other Exchanges GEN:USA GEN:Mexico 1NLOK:Italy SYM:Germany GEN:Czech Republic S1YM34:Brazil SYMC:Austria

Address 60 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 1000, Tempe, AZ, USA, 85281

Website https://www.gendigital.com

Gen is a cybersecurity pure-play that offers security, identity protection, and privacy solutions to individual consumers. The firm's cyber safety offerings, via brands such as Norton, Avast, and LifeLock, have long maintained their positions as some of the most recognizable consumer-focused security and identity-protection products.

85GF Score

Get the complete analysis for LTS:0AD5

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

$26.95

Price

$33.59

GF Value

View LTS:0AD5 Analysis

See Beneish M-Score data for all stocks →