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Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
Gap's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was -0.07%.
As of Apr. 2026, Gap has a Sloan Ratio of -0.07%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Gap (NYSE:GAP) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Apr. 2026, Gap has a Sloan Ratio of -0.07%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Gap Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Gap Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Gap's Sloan Ratio % 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.
For the Apparel Retail subindustry, Gap's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % 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.
Gap Sloan Ratio % vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Gap's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Gap's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
Gap's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Jan. 2026 is calculated as
Gap's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 was 216 (Jul. 2025 ) + 236 (Oct. 2025 ) + 171 (Jan. 2026 ) + 339 (Apr. 2026 ) = $962 Mil.
Gap's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 was 448 (Jul. 2025 ) + 299 (Oct. 2025 ) + 686 (Jan. 2026 ) + 213 (Apr. 2026 ) = $1,646 Mil.
Gap's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 was -91 (Jul. 2025 ) + -163 (Oct. 2025 ) + -273 (Jan. 2026 ) + -149 (Apr. 2026 ) = $-676 Mil.
* 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.
Gap (GAP) has a Sloan Ratio % of -0.07% as of Apr. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Gap and its competitors.
Is Gap's Sloan Ratio % too high?
Gap's current Sloan Ratio % is -0.07%. Overall, Gap has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Gap's Sloan Ratio % compare to VSXY and URBN?
Gap's Sloan Ratio % of -0.07% can be compared against companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Retail - Cyclical company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Retail - Cyclical industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % 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 Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Gap and its competitors. Gap's current Sloan Ratio % is -0.07%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Gap stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Gap (GAP) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $22.50, compared to a current price of $19.01 — trading 15.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is -0.07%. Gap's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Gap (GAP), the current Sloan Ratio % is -0.07% as of Apr. 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 Gap (GAP) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Gap stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $19.01 is trading 15.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of $22.50.
GuruFocus considers Gap to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for GAP:
Sloan Ratio %: -0.07%
GF Value™: $22.50 vs. price of $19.01 (15.5% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the GAP stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Gap retails apparel, accessories, footwear, and personal-care products under the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta brands. Old Navy generates more than half of Gap's sales. The firm also operates e-commerce sites, outlet stores, and specialty stores under various Gap names. Gap operates approximately 2,500 stores in North America, Europe, and Asia and franchises about 1,000 more in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and other regions. Gap was founded in 1969 and is based in San Francisco.
72GF Score
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