The North West CoTSX:NWC -1.04%80 Altman Z-Score is 4.57 as of Jul. 01, 2026, which is 3% above its 10-year median of 4.44. GuruFocus rates TSX:NWC with a GF Score™ of 80/100 and a GF Value™ of C$47.37 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 305 Retail - Defensive companies, The North West Co ranks better than 71.8% 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 4.59 is strong.
The North West Co has a Altman Z-Score of 4.57, 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 The North West Co's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:
TSX:NWC'
s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.44 Med: 4.44 Max: 5.29
Current: 4.59
During the past 13 years, The North West Co's highest Altman Z-Score was 5.29. The lowest was 3.44. And the median was 4.44.
The North West Co (TSX:NWC) 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.
Altman Z-Score does not apply to financial companies.
The North West Co Altman Z-Score Related Terms
The North West Co Altman Z-Score Historical Data
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The historical data trend for The North West Co'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.
TSX:NWC vs KR, SFM, ACI: Altman Z-Score Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, The North West Co'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.
The North West Co Altman Z-Score vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, The North West Co's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where The North West Co'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.
The North West Co'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
*
0.198
+
1.4
*
0.3635
+
3.3
*
0.133
+
0.6
*
2.9767
+
1.0
*
1.5951
=
4.57
* 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.
The North West Co (TSX:NWC) has a Altman Z-Score of 4.57 as of Jul. 01, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on The North West Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 4.44. Over the past decade, The North West Co's Altman Z-Score has ranged from 3.44 to 5.29. According to the industry distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #86 out of 305 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 28.2%.
Is The North West Co's Altman Z-Score too high?
The North West Co's current Altman Z-Score of 4.57 is near median its 10-year median of 4.44. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.44 to a high of 5.29. The Retail - Defensive industry median Altman Z-Score is 3.54. The North West Co's value of 4.57 is 29.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #86 out of 305 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, The North West Co has a GF Score™ of 80/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does The North West Co's Altman Z-Score compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, The North West Co ranks #86 out of 305 companies for Altman Z-Score. This puts The North West Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 3.54. The North West Co's value of 4.57 is 29.1% above this benchmark. Historically, The North West Co's own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 3.44 to 5.29 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.44 vs. the industry median of 3.54, The North West Co 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 Retail - Defensive company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Retail - Defensive companies is 3.54, based on 305 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. The North West Co's current Altman Z-Score of 4.57 is 29.1% 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 The North West Co and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 3.54 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. The North West Co's current Altman Z-Score is 4.57, which is near median its own 10-year median of 4.44. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is The North West Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The North West Co (TSX:NWC) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is C$47.37, compared to a current price of C$49.38 — trading 4.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 4.57, which is near median its 10-year median of 4.44 and 29.1% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 3.54. The North West Co's overall GF Score™ is 80/100 with 3 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 The North West Co (TSX:NWC), the current Altman Z-Score is 4.57 as of Jul. 01, 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 The North West Co (TSX:NWC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The North West Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of C$49.38 is trading 4.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of C$47.37.
GuruFocus considers The North West Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for TSX:NWC:
Altman Z-Score: 4.57 (near median its 10-year median of 4.44)
GF Value™: C$47.37 vs. price of C$49.38 (4.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 29.1% above the Retail - Defensive median (#86 of 305)
No single metric tells the full story. See the TSX:NWC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
The North West Co Inc is a retailer to rural and remote communities and underserved urban neighbourhood markets in Northern Canada, Western Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific islands, and the Caribbean. The Company offers a broad Multiple products and services with an emphasis on food, focusing on everyday household and local lifestyle needs. It operates as a retailer of food and everyday products and services through two geographical segments: Canadian and International. The Canadian segment generates maximum revenue and consists of subsidiaries operating retail stores and complementary businesses serving northern Canada, while the International segment consists of subsidiaries operating in the continental United States, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.
80GF Score
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