Air China (WBO:AD2) Beneish M-Score: -3.17 (As of Jun. 26, 2026)


WBO:AD2 Air China Ltd WBO:AD2
48 GF Score
Price €0.51
GF Value €0.69
Valuation Modestly Undervalued
! 5 Warning Signs
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What is Air China Beneish M-Score?

Air China WBO:AD2 +4.92% 48 Beneish M-Score is -3.17 as of Jun. 26, 2026. GuruFocus rates WBO:AD2 with a GF Score™ of 48/100 and a GF Value™ of €0.69 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 966 Transportation companies, Air China ranks better than 89.65% 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 -3.17 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

WBO:AD2' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -8.28   Med: -2.96   Max: 7.87
Current: -3.17

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Air China was 7.87. The lowest was -8.28. And the median was -2.96.


Air China Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Air China'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.

Air China Beneish M-Score Chart

Air China 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 -3.53 -3.48 -8.05 -2.98 -3.14

Air China 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 -2.76 -2.97 -3.10 -3.14 -3.17

WBO:AD2 vs DAL, UAL, LUV: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Airlines subindustry, Air China'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.


Air China Beneish M-Score vs Transportation Industry

For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Air China's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

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


WBO:AD2
48GF Score
Air China Ltd WBO:AD2
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Air China 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 Air China 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 * 1.0335+0.528 * 0.6393+0.404 * 0.9673+0.892 * 1.0009+0.115 * 1
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.9827+4.679 * -0.114827-0.327 * 0.9689
=-3.18

* 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 €1,126 Mil.
Revenue was 5589.591 + 5051.159 + 5868.825 + 4918.455 = €21,428 Mil.
Gross Profit was 439.614 + -40.357 + 808.768 + 265.412 = €1,473 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €4,525 Mil.
Total Assets was €43,208 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €33,134 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €0 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €767 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €15,692 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €18,299 Mil.
Net Income was 215.129 + -441.384 + 439.606 + 28.776 = €242 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = €0 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 1148.541 + 966.182 + 1943.048 + 1145.843 = €5,204 Mil.
Total Receivables was €1,088 Mil.
Revenue was 5106.917 + 5056.417 + 6192.094 + 5052.354 = €21,408 Mil.
Gross Profit was 26.802 + 13.92 + 808.947 + 91.4 = €941 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €5,330 Mil.
Total Assets was €44,042 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €32,865 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €0 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €779 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €16,655 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €19,107 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)
=(1125.73 / 21428.03) / (1088.149 / 21407.782)
=0.052535 / 0.05083
=1.0335

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)
=(941.069 / 21407.782) / (1473.437 / 21428.03)
=0.043959 / 0.068762
=0.6393

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 - (4525.109 + 33133.829) / 43208.365) / (1 - (5330.095 + 32864.652) / 44042.331)
=0.128434 / 0.132772
=0.9673

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
=21428.03 / 21407.782
=1.0009

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))
=(0 / (0 + 32864.652)) / (0 / (0 + 33133.829))
=0 / 0
=1

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)
=(766.656 / 21428.03) / (779.386 / 21407.782)
=0.035778 / 0.036407
=0.9827

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)
=((18299.458 + 15691.78) / 43208.365) / ((19106.611 + 16654.515) / 44042.331)
=0.786682 / 0.811972
=0.9689

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
=(242.127 - 0 - 5203.614) / 43208.365
=-0.114827

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.

Air China has a M-score of -3.18 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 -3.17 mean?
Air China (WBO:AD2) has a Beneish M-Score of -3.17 as of Jun. 26, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Air China and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Air China ranks #100 out of 966 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 10.4%.
Is Air China's Beneish M-Score too high?
Air China's current Beneish M-Score is -3.17. Based on the distribution chart, Air China ranks #100 out of 966 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Air China has a GF Score™ of 48/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Air China's Beneish M-Score compare to DAL and UAL?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Air China ranks #100 out of 966 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Air China in the top 10% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. 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 Transportation company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Transportation 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 Air China and its competitors. Air China's current Beneish M-Score is -3.17. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Air China stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Air China (WBO:AD2) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €0.69, compared to a current price of €0.51 — trading 25.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -3.17. Air China's overall GF Score™ is 48/100 with 5 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 Air China (WBO:AD2), the current Beneish M-Score is -3.17 as of Jun. 26, 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 Air China (WBO:AD2) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Air China stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of €0.51 is trading 25.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of €0.69. GuruFocus considers Air China to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for WBO:AD2:

  • Beneish M-Score: -3.17
  • GF Value™: €0.69 vs. price of €0.51 (25.8% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 48/100 with 5 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the WBO:AD2 stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Air China Business Description

Address 12 Tung Fai Road, 5th Floor, CNAC House, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong, HKG
Air China Ltd is based in Beijing and principally provides airline and related services, which include aircraft engineering and airport ground handling. The majority of the company's revenue comes from airline operations, with a smaller portion generated from rental income. Company has two segments (a) The airline operations segment which mainly comprises the provision of air passenger and air cargo services; and (b) The other operations segment which comprises the provision of aircraft engineering and other airline-related services. Geographically, majority of its revenue is derived from Mainland China followed by International segment and Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan.
48GF Score

Get the complete analysis for WBO:AD2

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

€0.51
Price
€0.69
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