International Business Machines (XTER:IBM) Beneish M-Score: -2.41 (As of Jun. 24, 2026)


XTER:IBM International Business Machines Corp XTER:IBM
69 GF Score
Price €232.50
GF Value €209.60
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 1 Warning Sign
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What is International Business Machines Beneish M-Score?

International Business Machines XTER:IBM +8.04% 69 Beneish M-Score is -2.41 as of Jun. 24, 2026. GuruFocus rates XTER:IBM with a GF Score™ of 69/100 and a GF Value™ of €209.60 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 2,633 Software companies, International Business Machines ranks worse than 58.15% 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 -2.41 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

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

XTER:IBM' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.15   Med: -2.73   Max: -2.38
Current: -2.41

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of International Business Machines was -2.38. The lowest was -3.15. And the median was -2.73.


International Business Machines Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for International Business Machines'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.

International Business Machines Beneish M-Score Chart

International Business Machines 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 -2.76 -2.60 -2.74 -2.61 -2.38

International Business Machines 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 -2.60 -2.50 -2.60 -2.38 -2.41

XTER:IBM vs ACN, FISV, CTSH: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Information Technology Services subindustry, International Business Machines'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.


International Business Machines Beneish M-Score vs Software Industry

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

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


XTER:IBM
69GF Score
International Business Machines Corp XTER:IBM
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

International Business Machines 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 International Business Machines 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 * 1.0471+0.528 * 0.978+0.404 * 1.0618+0.892 * 1.0148+0.115 * 0.9485
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.9369+4.679 * -0.014089-0.327 * 0.9939
=-2.47

* 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 €11,679 Mil.
Revenue was 13768.205 + 16812.698 + 13914.012 + 14719.059 = €59,214 Mil.
Gross Profit was 7741.75 + 10186.512 + 7974.72 + 8650.059 = €34,553 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €27,606 Mil.
Total Assets was €135,138 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €7,784 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €4,399 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €15,710 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €34,687 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €52,202 Mil.
Net Income was 1051.84 + 4782.4 + 1485.888 + 1902.198 = €9,222 Mil.
Non Operating Income was -441.15 + -305.732 + -17.892 + -130.917 = €-896 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 4471.185 + 3450.16 + 2625.864 + 1474.767 = €12,022 Mil.
Total Receivables was €10,991 Mil.
Revenue was 13450.425 + 16763.115 + 13485.267 + 14649.401 = €58,348 Mil.
Gross Profit was 7428.675 + 9969.245 + 7586.42 + 8314.55 = €33,299 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €32,686 Mil.
Total Assets was €134,742 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €8,385 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €4,367 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €16,522 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €32,473 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €54,690 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)
=(11679.23 / 59213.974) / (10990.85 / 58348.208)
=0.197238 / 0.188367
=1.0471

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)
=(33298.89 / 58348.208) / (34553.041 / 59213.974)
=0.570693 / 0.583528
=0.978

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 - (27605.61 + 7784.135) / 135138.085) / (1 - (32685.8 + 8385.125) / 134741.975)
=0.738122 / 0.695188
=1.0618

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
=59213.974 / 58348.208
=1.0148

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))
=(4367.103 / (4367.103 + 8385.125)) / (4398.665 / (4398.665 + 7784.135))
=0.342458 / 0.361055
=0.9485

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)
=(15709.772 / 59213.974) / (16522.329 / 58348.208)
=0.265305 / 0.283168
=0.9369

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)
=((52201.885 + 34687.365) / 135138.085) / ((54689.7 + 32473.05) / 134741.975)
=0.642966 / 0.646886
=0.9939

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
=(9222.326 - -895.691 - 12021.976) / 135138.085
=-0.014089

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.

International Business Machines has a M-score of -2.47 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 -2.41 mean?
International Business Machines (XTER:IBM) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.41 as of Jun. 24, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on International Business Machines and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, International Business Machines ranks #1531 out of 2633 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 58.1%.
Is International Business Machines' Beneish M-Score too high?
International Business Machines' current Beneish M-Score is -2.41. Based on the distribution chart, International Business Machines ranks #1531 out of 2633 companies in the Software industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, International Business Machines has a GF Score™ of 69/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Business Machines' Beneish M-Score compare to ACN and FISV?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, International Business Machines ranks #1531 out of 2633 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places International Business Machines 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 International Business Machines and its competitors. International Business Machines's current Beneish M-Score is -2.41. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is International Business Machines stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Business Machines (XTER:IBM) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €209.60, compared to a current price of €232.50 — trading 10.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.41. International Business Machines' overall GF Score™ is 69/100 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 International Business Machines (XTER:IBM), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.41 as of Jun. 24, 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 International Business Machines (XTER:IBM) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Business Machines stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €232.50 is trading 10.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of €209.60. GuruFocus considers International Business Machines to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for XTER:IBM:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.41
  • GF Value™: €209.60 vs. price of €232.50 (10.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 69/100 with 1 warning sign

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


International Business Machines Business Description

Address One New Orchard Road, Armonk, NY, USA, 10504
Incorporated in 1911, International Business Machines, or IBM, is one of the oldest technology companies in the world. It provides software, IT consulting services, and hardware to help business customers modernize their technology workflows. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. IBM's products, including Red Hat, watsonx, and mainframes, handle some of the world's most important data workloads in areas like finance and retail.
69GF Score

Get the complete analysis for XTER:IBM

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

€232.50
Price
€209.60
GF Value