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Argent IndustrialJSE:ART -0.34%72 Altman Z-Score is 4.24 as of Jul. 14, 2026, which is 27% above its 10-year median of 3.33. GuruFocus rates JSE:ART with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of R29.95 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 608 Steel companies, Argent Industrial ranks better than 77.3% 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.
Good Sign:
Altman Z-score of 4.24 is strong.
Argent Industrial has a Altman Z-Score of 4.24, indicating it is in Safe Zones. This implies the Altman Z-Score is strong.
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 Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:
JSE:ART'
s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.46 Med: 3.33 Max: 4.24
Current: 4.24
During the past 13 years, Argent Industrial's highest Altman Z-Score was 4.24. The lowest was 2.46. And the median was 3.33.
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.
Altman Z-Score does not apply to financial companies.
Argent Industrial Altman Z-Score Related Terms
Argent Industrial Altman Z-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Argent Industrial'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.
JSE:ART vs NUE, STLD, RS: Altman Z-Score Comparison
For the Steel subindustry, Argent Industrial'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.
Argent Industrial Altman Z-Score vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score falls into.
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.
Argent Industrial'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
*
0.4027
+
1.4
*
0.604
+
3.3
*
0.1456
+
0.6
*
2.4158
+
1.0
*
0.978
=
4.24
* 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.
Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) has a Altman Z-Score of 4.24 as of Jul. 14, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Argent Industrial and its competitors. This is 27% above median its historical median of 3.33. Over the past decade, Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score has ranged from 2.46 to 4.24. According to the industry distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #138 out of 608 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 22.7%.
Is Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score too high?
Argent Industrial's current Altman Z-Score of 4.24 is 27% above median its 10-year median of 3.33. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.46 to a high of 4.24. The Steel industry median Altman Z-Score is 2.45. Argent Industrial's value of 4.24 is 73.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #138 out of 608 companies in the Steel industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Argent Industrial has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Argent Industrial's Altman Z-Score compare to NUE and STLD?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Argent Industrial ranks #138 out of 608 companies for Altman Z-Score. This places Argent Industrial in the top 23% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 2.45. Argent Industrial's value of 4.24 is 73.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Argent Industrial's own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 2.46 to 4.24 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.33 vs. the industry median of 2.45, Argent Industrial has consistently been above 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 a Steel company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Steel companies is 2.45, based on 608 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. Argent Industrial's current Altman Z-Score of 4.24 is 73.4% above 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 Argent Industrial and its competitors. For the Steel industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 2.45 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Argent Industrial's current Altman Z-Score is 4.24, which is 27% above median its own 10-year median of 3.33. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Argent Industrial stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is R29.95, compared to a current price of R38.00 — trading 26.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 4.24, which is 27% above median its 10-year median of 3.33 and 73.4% above the Steel industry median of 2.45. Argent Industrial's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 6 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 Argent Industrial (JSE:ART), the current Altman Z-Score is 4.24 as of Jul. 14, 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 Argent Industrial (JSE:ART) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Argent Industrial stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of R38.00 is trading 26.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of R29.95.
GuruFocus considers Argent Industrial to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for JSE:ART:
Altman Z-Score: 4.24 (27% above median its 10-year median of 3.33)
GF Value™: R29.95 vs. price of R38.00 (26.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 73.4% above the Steel median (#138 of 608)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JSE:ART stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Argent Industrial Ltd is a holding company that derives its income from the manufacturing and trading of steel and steel-related products, and properties. The company is organized into three operating divisions, namely Manufacturing, Steel trading, and Properties. The Manufacturing segment consists of manufacturing branded consumer goods. The steel trading segment makes up ferrous steel, aluminum, and stainless steel products. Steel products are also traded internally to the group's manufacturing businesses. The group charges rent for the properties. The company generates a majority of its revenue from manufacturing businesses. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from South Africa and has a presence in the rest of the world.
72GF Score
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