Fact based stock research
Marks and Spencer (LSE:MKS)

GB0031274896

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Marks and Spencer stock research in summary

corporate.marksandspencer.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 62 (better than 62% compared with investment alternatives), Marks and Spencer (Food Retail, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Marks and Spencer are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 41 (worse than 59% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 59) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 58, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 62, is a buy recommendation based on Marks and Spencer's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Marks and Spencer exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 41), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 59). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 58) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	41
Growth Rank	59
Safety Rank	58
Combined Rank	62

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Food Retail
Index	FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Employee Focus EU, Human Rights, Renewables Users
Size class	X-Large

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Marks and Spencer

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	87	64	49	41
GROWTH
GROWTH	87	93	94	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	13	15	30	58
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	79	58	82	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	83	70	84	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 29-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Marks and Spencer is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	87	64	49	41
GROWTH
GROWTH	87	93	94	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	13	15	30	58
COMBINED
COMBINED	75	76	76	62

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Marks and Spencer the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 41 (worse than 59% compared with alternatives), Marks and Spencer shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Marks and Spencer. Only Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) indicates good stock value with a rank of 51, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is lower than for 51% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Marks and Spencer's profit levels. But Price-to-Sales is 44 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 56% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Marks and Spencer's profit levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 47 and for dividend yield, which is lower than for 66% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive as regards to the company's expected dividend payouts. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 41, is a hold recommendation based on Marks and Spencer's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Can we rely on only one good value indicator? Only if we know the company well. In this case, a high Price-to-Profit Rank, while Price-to-Sales and Price-to-Book are both below the market typical levels, means that the company can charge higher prices for its products and needs less capital to produce them. If this is sustainable, then Marks and Spencer is a good investment because profits count most in enterprise valuations. The low dividend yield indicates that the company is confident it can do something with the generated cash that is more valuable than paying the profits out to the shareholders in the form of dividends. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	73	56	46	44
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	74	58	66	51
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	67	57	49	47
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	65	45	36	34
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	87	64	49	41

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Marks and Spencer; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 59 (better than 59% compared with alternatives), Marks and Spencer shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Marks and Spencer. Sales Growth has a rank of 80 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 80% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 55. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 42, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 58% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 8, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 59, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 55% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	16	34	45	80
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	98	77	77	8
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	59	59	73	42
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	95	100	91	55
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	87	93	94	59

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Marks and Spencer.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 58 (better than 58% compared with alternatives), the company Marks and Spencer has financing practices on the safer side, which mean that their overall debt burden is lower than average. This doesn't mean that the business of Marks and Spencer is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above average for Marks and Spencer. Leverage is at a rank of 55, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 55% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 68, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 68% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 39, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 61% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 58 (better than 58% compared with alternatives), Marks and Spencer has a financing structure that is safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Marks and Spencer. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge with Marks and Spencer and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	27	34	38	55
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	23	25	28	39
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	29	37	60	68
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	13	15	30	58

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Marks and Spencer and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	45	74	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	94	66	64	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	79	88	78	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	28	39	59	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	79	58	82	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Marks and Spencer.
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