SPH (Suburban Propane Partners LP) Beneish M-Score: -2.65 (As of Aug. 01, 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
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.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
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.

SPH Suburban Propane Partners LP SPH
57 GF Score
Price $18.66
GF Value $18.09
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 3 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Suburban Propane Partners LP Beneish M-Score?

Suburban Propane Partners LP SPH +0.27% 57 Beneish M-Score is -2.65 as of Aug. 01, 2026. GuruFocus rates SPH with a GF Score™ of 57/100 and a GF Value™ of $18.09 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 486 Utilities - Regulated companies, Suburban Propane Partners LP ranks better than 57.41% 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 -2.65 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

SPH' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.21   Med: -2.63   Max: -2.17
Current: -2.65

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Suburban Propane Partners LP was -2.17. The lowest was -3.21. And the median was -2.63.


Suburban Propane Partners LP Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Suburban Propane Partners LP'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.

Suburban Propane Partners LP Beneish M-Score Chart

Suburban Propane Partners LP Annual Data
Trend Sep16 Sep17 Sep18 Sep19 Sep20 Sep21 Sep22 Sep23 Sep24 Sep25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.39 -2.35 -2.88 -2.66 -2.56

Suburban Propane Partners LP 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 -2.31 -2.50 -2.56 -2.43 -2.65

SPH vs NWN, RGCO, OPAL: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Utilities - Regulated Gas subindustry, Suburban Propane Partners LP'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.


Suburban Propane Partners LP Beneish M-Score vs Utilities - Regulated Industry

For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, Suburban Propane Partners LP's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Suburban Propane Partners LP's Beneish M-Score falls into.


SPH
57GF Score
Suburban Propane Partners LP SPH
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Suburban Propane Partners LP 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 Suburban Propane Partners LP 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 * 1.0062+0.528 * 0.9505+0.404 * 0.9948+0.892 * 0.9781+0.115 * 0.9767
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.0494+4.679 * -0.028125-0.327 * 0.9637
=-2.65

* 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 $148 Mil.
Revenue was 551.206 + 370.386 + 211.376 + 260.15 = $1,393 Mil.
Gross Profit was 343.706 + 239.547 + 136.753 + 160.591 = $881 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $267 Mil.
Total Assets was $2,427 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $824 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $70 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $98 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $248 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $1,334 Mil.
Net Income was 137.542 + 45.78 + -35.136 + -14.835 = $133 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -0.555 + -1.884 + -0.629 + -1.303 = $-4 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 116.265 + -47.666 + 41.829 + 95.543 = $206 Mil.
Total Receivables was $151 Mil.
Revenue was 587.663 + 373.329 + 208.641 + 254.61 = $1,424 Mil.
Gross Profit was 345.301 + 226.167 + 124.018 + 160.21 = $856 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $250 Mil.
Total Assets was $2,400 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was $822 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was $69 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was $95 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $236 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $1,387 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)
=(148.116 / 1393.118) / (150.5 / 1424.243)
=0.10632 / 0.10567
=1.0062

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)
=(855.696 / 1424.243) / (880.597 / 1393.118)
=0.600808 / 0.632105
=0.9505

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 - (267.477 + 823.945) / 2426.635) / (1 - (250.093 + 822.449) / 2399.899)
=0.550232 / 0.553089
=0.9948

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
=1393.118 / 1424.243
=0.9781

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))
=(68.556 / (68.556 + 822.449)) / (70.458 / (70.458 + 823.945))
=0.076942 / 0.078777
=0.9767

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)
=(97.533 / 1393.118) / (95.017 / 1424.243)
=0.070011 / 0.066714
=1.0494

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)
=((1333.621 + 247.77) / 2426.635) / ((1387.201 + 235.661) / 2399.899)
=0.651681 / 0.676221
=0.9637

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
=(133.351 - -4.371 - 205.971) / 2426.635
=-0.028125

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.

Suburban Propane Partners LP has a M-score of -2.65 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 -2.65 mean?
Suburban Propane Partners LP (SPH) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.65 as of Aug. 01, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Suburban Propane Partners LP and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Suburban Propane Partners LP ranks #207 out of 486 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, placing it in the top 42.6%.
Is Suburban Propane Partners LP's Beneish M-Score too high?
Suburban Propane Partners LP's current Beneish M-Score is -2.65. Based on the distribution chart, Suburban Propane Partners LP ranks #207 out of 486 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Suburban Propane Partners LP has a GF Score™ of 57/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Suburban Propane Partners LP's Beneish M-Score compare to NWN and RGCO?
According to the Utilities - Regulated industry distribution chart, Suburban Propane Partners LP ranks #207 out of 486 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts Suburban Propane Partners LP 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 Utilities - Regulated company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Utilities - Regulated 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 Suburban Propane Partners LP and its competitors. Suburban Propane Partners LP's current Beneish M-Score is -2.65. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Suburban Propane Partners LP stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Suburban Propane Partners LP (SPH) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $18.09, compared to a current price of $18.66 — trading 3.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.65. Suburban Propane Partners LP's overall GF Score™ is 57/100 with 3 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 Suburban Propane Partners LP (SPH), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.65 as of Aug. 01, 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 Suburban Propane Partners LP (SPH) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Suburban Propane Partners LP stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $18.66 is trading 3.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $18.09. GuruFocus considers Suburban Propane Partners LP to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for SPH:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.65
  • GF Value™: $18.09 vs. price of $18.66 (3.2% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 57/100 with 3 warning signs

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


Suburban Propane Partners LP Business Description

Address 240 Route 10 West, Whippany, NJ, USA, 07981
Suburban Propane Partners LP distributes propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas (RNG), fuel oil, refined fuels, and markets natural gas and electricity in deregulated markets. It produces and invests in low-carbon fuel alternatives. The company installs and services home comfort heating and ventilation equipment and distributes fuel oil, kerosene, diesel, and gasoline to about 25,000 residential and commercial customers mainly in the U.S. northeast. It operates three segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels, and Natural Gas and Electricity, with the Propane segment generating the majority of revenue. Propane, a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, is a clean-burning energy source known for transportability and ease of use.
57GF Score

Get the complete analysis for SPH

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

$18.66
Price
$18.09
GF Value