Russel MetalsRUSMF -6.91%79 Altman Z-Score is 4.59 as of Jun. 24, 2026, which is 10% above its 10-year median of 4.18. GuruFocus rates RUSMF with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of $36.59 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 154 Industrial Distribution companies, Russel Metals ranks better than 76.62% 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 4.76 is strong.
Russel Metals has a Altman Z-Score of 4.59, 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 Russel Metals's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:
RUSMF'
s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.17 Med: 4.18 Max: 5.32
Current: 4.76
During the past 13 years, Russel Metals's highest Altman Z-Score was 5.32. The lowest was 3.17. And the median was 4.18.
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.
Russel Metals Altman Z-Score Related Terms
Russel Metals Altman Z-Score Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Russel Metals'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.
RUSMF vs GWW, FAST, FERG: Altman Z-Score Comparison
For the Industrial Distribution subindustry, Russel Metals'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.
Russel Metals Altman Z-Score vs Industrial Distribution Industry
For the Industrial Distribution industry and Industrials sector, Russel Metals's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Russel Metals'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.
Russel Metals'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
*
0.445
+
1.4
*
0.3379
+
3.3
*
0.0998
+
0.6
*
2.5587
+
1.0
*
1.714
=
4.59
* 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.
Russel Metals (RUSMF) has a Altman Z-Score of 4.59 as of Jun. 24, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Russel Metals and its competitors. This is 10% above median its historical median of 4.18. Over the past decade, Russel Metals' Altman Z-Score has ranged from 3.17 to 5.32. According to the industry distribution chart, Russel Metals ranks #36 out of 154 companies in the Industrial Distribution industry, placing it in the top 23.4%.
Is Russel Metals' Altman Z-Score too high?
Russel Metals' current Altman Z-Score of 4.59 is 10% above median its 10-year median of 4.18. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.17 to a high of 5.32. The Industrial Distribution industry median Altman Z-Score is 3.27. Russel Metals' value of 4.59 is 40.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Russel Metals ranks #36 out of 154 companies in the Industrial Distribution industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Russel Metals has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Russel Metals' Altman Z-Score compare to GWW and FAST?
According to the Industrial Distribution industry distribution chart, Russel Metals ranks #36 out of 154 companies for Altman Z-Score. This places Russel Metals in the top 23% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 3.27. Russel Metals' value of 4.59 is 40.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Russel Metals' own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 3.17 to 5.32 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.18 vs. the industry median of 3.27, Russel Metals 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 an Industrial Distribution company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Industrial Distribution companies is 3.27, based on 154 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. Russel Metals's current Altman Z-Score of 4.59 is 40.6% 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 Russel Metals and its competitors. For the Industrial Distribution industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 3.27 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Russel Metals's current Altman Z-Score is 4.59, which is 10% above median its own 10-year median of 4.18. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Russel Metals stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Russel Metals (RUSMF) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $36.59, compared to a current price of $41.89 — trading 14.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 4.59, which is 10% above median its 10-year median of 4.18 and 40.6% above the Industrial Distribution industry median of 3.27. Russel Metals' overall GF Score™ is 79/100 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 Russel Metals (RUSMF), the current Altman Z-Score is 4.59 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 Russel Metals (RUSMF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Russel Metals stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $41.89 is trading 14.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $36.59.
GuruFocus considers Russel Metals to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for RUSMF:
Altman Z-Score: 4.59 (10% above median its 10-year median of 4.18)
GF Value™: $36.59 vs. price of $41.89 (14.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 40.6% above the Industrial Distribution median (#36 of 154)
No single metric tells the full story. See the RUSMF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Russel Metals Inc is a Canada-based metal distribution company. The company conducts business in Canada and the U.S. in three operating and reportable segments: Metals Service Centers, Energy Field Stores, and Steel Distributors. The majority of its revenue is generated from the Metals Service Centers segment, which carries an extensive line of metal products in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and specifications, including carbon hot rolled and cold finished steel, pipe and tubular products, stainless steel, aluminum, and other non-ferrous specialty metals. It purchases these products mainly from North American steel producers, processes, packages, and sells them to end users in accordance with their specific needs. Geographically, the company generates maximum revenue from Canada.
79GF Score
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