Challenger (ASX:CGF) Altman Z-Score: 1.22 (As of Jun. 25, 2026) — 79% Above Median


ASX:CGF Challenger Ltd ASX:CGF
59 GF Score
Price A$9.82
GF Value A$4.11
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 8 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Challenger Altman Z-Score?

Challenger ASX:CGF -0.30% 59 Altman Z-Score is 1.22 as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 79% above its 10-year median of 0.68. GuruFocus rates ASX:CGF with a GF Score™ of 59/100 and a GF Value™ of A$4.11 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 63 Insurance companies, Challenger ranks worse than 63.49% on this metric.

The Altman Z-Score is a model designed to predict the likelihood of a company going bankrupt within the next two years. Created by American finance professor Edward Altman in 1968, the model is specifically designed for publicly traded manufacturing companies with assets greater than $1 million.

Warning Sign:

Altman Z-score of 1.22 is in distress zone. This implies bankruptcy possibility in the next two years.

Challenger has a Altman Z-Score of 1.22, indicating it is in Distress Zones. This implies bankrupcy possibility in the next two years.

The zones of discrimination were as such:

When Altman Z-Score <= 1.8, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z-Score >= 3, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z-Score is between 1.8 and 3, it is in Grey Zones.

The historical rank and industry rank for Challenger's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:

ASX:CGF' s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.22   Med: 0.68   Max: 1.24
Current: 1.22

During the past 13 years, Challenger's highest Altman Z-Score was 1.24. The lowest was 0.22. And the median was 0.68.


Challenger  (ASX:CGF) Altman Z-Score Explanation

X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.

X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.

X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.

X4, Market Value of Equity/Book Value of Total Liabilities (MVE/TL): The measure shows how much the firm's assets can decline in value (measured by market value of equity plus debt) before the liabilities exceed the assets and the firm becomes insolvent.

X5, Revenue/Total Assets (S/TA): The capital-turnover ratio is a standard financial ratio illustrating the sales generating ability of the firm's assets.

Read more about Altman Z-Score and the original research.


Be Aware

Altman Z-Score does not apply to financial companies.


Challenger Altman Z-Score Related Terms


Challenger Altman Z-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Challenger's Altman Z-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.

Challenger Altman Z-Score Chart

Challenger Annual Data
Trend Jun16 Jun17 Jun18 Jun19 Jun20 Jun21 Jun22 Jun23 Jun24 Jun25
Altman Z-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.68 1.18 1.24 1.20 1.20

Challenger Semi-Annual Data
Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23 Jun24 Dec24 Jun25 Dec25
Altman Z-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 0.00 1.20 0.00 1.20 0.00

ASX:CGF vs AFL, MET, PRU: Altman Z-Score Comparison

For the Insurance - Life subindustry, Challenger's Altman Z-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z-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.


Challenger Altman Z-Score vs Insurance Industry

For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, Challenger's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Challenger's Altman Z-Score falls into.


ASX:CGF
59GF Score
Challenger Ltd ASX:CGF
Altman Z-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Challenger Altman Z-Score Calculation

Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.

Challenger's Altman Z-Score for today is calculated with this formula:

Z=1.2*X1+1.4*X2+3.3*X3+0.6*X4+1.0*X5
=1.2*0.7219+1.4*0.0397+3.3*0.0314+0.6*0.2167+1.0*0.0658
=1.22

* 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. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z-Score when X4 or X5 value is 0.

Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2025:
Total Assets was A$34,954 Mil.
Total Current Assets was A$33,022 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was A$7,790 Mil.
Retained Earnings was A$1,387 Mil.
Pre-Tax Income was A$275 Mil.
Interest Expense was A$-823 Mil.
Revenue was A$2,302 Mil.
Market Cap (Today) was A$6,736 Mil.
Total Liabilities was A$31,090 Mil.

* Note that for stock reported semi-annually or annually, GuruFocus uses latest annual data as the TTM data.

X1=Working Capital/Total Assets
=(Total Current Assets - Total Current Liabilities)/Total Assets
=(33022 - 7789.7)/34954.1
=0.7219

X2=Retained Earnings/Total Assets
=1386.6/34954.1
=0.0397

X3=Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets
=(Pre-Tax Income - Interest Expense)/Total Assets
=(275.3 - -822.7)/34954.1
=0.0314

X4=Market Value Equity/Book Value of Total Liabilities
=Market Cap/Total Liabilities
=6735.595/31089.6
=0.2167

X5=Revenue/Total Assets
=2301.6/34954.1
=0.0658

The zones of discrimination were as such:

Distress Zones - 1.81 < Grey Zones < 2.99 - Safe Zones

Challenger has a Altman Z-Score of 1.22 indicating it is in Distress Zones.

Study by Altman found that companies that are in Distress Zone have more than 80% of chances of bankruptcy in two years.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Altman Z-Score →
What does a Altman Z-Score of 1.22 mean?
Challenger (ASX:CGF) has a Altman Z-Score of 1.22 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Challenger and its competitors. This is 79% above median its historical median of 0.68. Over the past decade, Challenger's Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.22 to 1.24. According to the industry distribution chart, Challenger ranks #40 out of 63 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 63.5%.
Is Challenger's Altman Z-Score too high?
Challenger's current Altman Z-Score of 1.22 is 79% above median its 10-year median of 0.68. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.22 to a high of 1.24. The Insurance industry median Altman Z-Score is 1.50. Challenger's value of 1.22 is 18.7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Challenger ranks #40 out of 63 companies in the Insurance industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Challenger has a GF Score™ of 59/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Challenger's Altman Z-Score compare to AFL and MET?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, Challenger ranks #40 out of 63 companies for Altman Z-Score. This places Challenger in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 1.50. Challenger's value of 1.22 is 18.7% below this benchmark. Historically, Challenger's own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.22 to 1.24 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.68 vs. the industry median of 1.50, Challenger has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Altman Z-Score for an Insurance company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Insurance companies is 1.50, based on 63 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Challenger's current Altman Z-Score of 1.22 is 18.7% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Altman Z-Score mean?
A high Altman Z-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Challenger and its competitors. For the Insurance industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 1.50 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Challenger's current Altman Z-Score is 1.22, which is 79% above median its own 10-year median of 0.68. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Challenger stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Challenger (ASX:CGF) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is A$4.11, compared to a current price of A$9.82 — trading 138.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 1.22, which is 79% above median its 10-year median of 0.68 and 18.7% below the Insurance industry median of 1.50. Challenger's overall GF Score™ is 59/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Altman Z-Score calculated?
Altman Z-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Challenger (ASX:CGF), the current Altman Z-Score is 1.22 as of Jun. 25, 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 Challenger (ASX:CGF) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Challenger stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of A$9.82 is trading 138.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of A$4.11. GuruFocus considers Challenger to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for ASX:CGF:

  • Altman Z-Score: 1.22 (79% above median its 10-year median of 0.68)
  • GF Value™: A$4.11 vs. price of A$9.82 (138.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 59/100 with 8 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 18.7% below the Insurance median (#40 of 63)

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


Challenger Business Description

Address 5 Martin Place, Level 2, Sydney, NSW, AUS, 2000
Challenger's core business is selling annuity products in the Australian retirement market and, since November 2016, selling Australian dollar-denominated annuities into Japan's large retirement market. The firm's annuity products provide investors guaranteed regular payments over an agreed term for an upfront lump sum investment and is designed primarily to protect investors from the longevity risk of outliving their savings. Challenger also operates a funds management business, Fidante Partners, which has minority stakes in several boutique global investment managers, and Challenger Investment Management, which primarily manages investments supporting its annuities business.
59GF Score

Get the complete analysis for ASX:CGF

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

A$9.82
Price
A$4.11
GF Value