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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 -2.9 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
The historical rank and industry rank for NetScout Systems's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:
STU:NSZ'
s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.15 Med: -2.8 Max: -2.16
Current: -2.9
During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of NetScout Systems was -2.16. The lowest was -3.15. And the median was -2.80.
The historical data trend for NetScout Systems'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.
STU:NSZ vs EEFT, TDC, STNE: Beneish M-Score Comparison
For the Software - Infrastructure subindustry, NetScout Systems'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.
NetScout Systems Beneish M-Score vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, NetScout Systems's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where NetScout Systems's Beneish M-Score falls into.
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 NetScout Systems 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 * 0.8745
+
0.528 * 0.9866
+
0.404 * 0.9736
+
0.892 * 0.9929
+
0.115 * 1.0971
-
0.172 * SGAI
+
4.679 * TATA
-
0.327 * LVGI
-
0.172 * 0.9512
+
4.679 * -0.063354
-
0.327 * 1.011
=
-2.90
* 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.
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.
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))
=
(54.051 / (54.051 + 50.043))
/
(48.5 / (48.5 + 53.976))
=
0.519252
/
0.473282
=
1.0971
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
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
=
(103.827 - -3.548
-
234.451)
/
2005.807
=
-0.063354
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.
NetScout Systems has a M-score of -2.90 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.90 as of Aug. 23, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on NetScout Systems and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #745 out of 2637 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 28.3%.
Is NetScout Systems' Beneish M-Score too high?
NetScout Systems' current Beneish M-Score is -2.90. Based on the distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #745 out of 2637 companies in the Software industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, NetScout Systems has a GF Score™ of 65/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does NetScout Systems' Beneish M-Score compare to EEFT and TDC?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, NetScout Systems ranks #745 out of 2637 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts NetScout Systems 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 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 NetScout Systems and its competitors. NetScout Systems's current Beneish M-Score is -2.90. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is NetScout Systems stock overvalued right now?
NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) has a current Beneish M-Score of -2.90. The stock's GF Value™ is €20.42, compared to a current price of €32.93 — trading 61.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.90. NetScout Systems' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 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 NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.90 as of Aug. 23, 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 NetScout Systems (STU:NSZ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, NetScout Systems stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €32.93 is trading 61.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of €20.42.
Key valuation signals for STU:NSZ:
Beneish M-Score: -2.90
GF Value™: €20.42 vs. price of €32.93 (61.3% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:NSZ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
NetScout Systems Inc is engaged in providing enterprise network observability, carrier service assurance, cybersecurity, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS), protection solutions. It bases its solutions on proprietary adaptive service intelligence technology, which helps customers monitor and identify performance issues and provides insight into network-based security threats. These solutions also deliver real-time and historical information, which provides insight to restore service and understand the quality of user experience. The company derives revenue from the sale of network management tools and security solutions. Its geographical regions include USA, which derives maximum revenue, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.
65GF Score
Get the complete analysis for STU:NSZ
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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