Stock fact sheet · data as of
Merchants Financial Group, Inc. (MFGI): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol MFGI · Financial Services · Banks - Regional · United States · Value
Is MFGI undervalued?
MFGI closed at 47.00 on 5 Nov 2026, which is 23% above the GLS average fair value of 38.33 from 9 models. 4 of them value the shares below today's price. Our scans read that as "no margin of safety": the stock is not a value candidate at this price, whatever the quality numbers say.
There is a wide gap between Lynch (6.58) and DCF (70.27). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
Ranked against every other company we cover, MFGI is clearly cheaper than it is fast-growing, so the nightly engine files it under Value (value score 57, growth score 34, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for MFGI
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 70.27 | +50% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 64.03 | +36% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 51.35 | +9% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 6.58 | -86% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 13.55 | -71% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 52.11 | +11% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 23.14 | -51% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 12.51 | -73% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 51.45 | +9% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -287.25 | -711% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Merchants Financial Group, Inc. scores 5 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that falls one point short of the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. A GLS Moat score of 7.5/10 puts MFGI among the more durable businesses we track: over up to ten years its returns on capital have stayed high, its margins steady and its balance sheet sound.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 9.2%, ROE 10.5%, ROA 1.1% - with debt at 0.15 times equity and negative free cash flow.
The dividend yield is 1.81% at a payout ratio of 0%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold.
Institutional ownership scores 5/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 9.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 7.5 / 10 | ROE | 10.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.15 | ROA | 1.1% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 0.0% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 5 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 20: No options
No options are listed on Merchants Financial Group, Inc. in our nightly snapshot, so it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade) (it reads 20, under 70) and is left out of every options scan; the fair value and health figures above are still useful for a plain stock position.
Volume runs at 0k shares a day on a market cap of $384M, with a beta of 0.01 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | no listed options |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Fails | trades 23% above our fair value |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Fails | Piotroski 5/9 (under 6) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | no implied volatility |
| 8 | Big enough | Fails | market cap $384M (under $1.0B) |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Weak | 23% above fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | no option data | |
| Moat | Good | moat 7.5/10 | |
| Health | Fair | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | not scored yet - half marks | |
| Option trading | Weak | no option volume data | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.01, $384M company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for MFGI in the nightly calendar. The shares go ex-dividend on 20 Nov 2026 (0.4800 per share), so a covered call sold before then carries a small early-assignment risk around that date.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Banks - Regional
The 12 companies below are the closest to Merchants Financial Group, Inc. by market cap within the Banks - Regional industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVBH Avidbank Holdings, Inc. | 34.92 | 48.67 | +28% | 30No options | $384M |
| MSBC Mission Bancorp | 125.00 | 136.80 | +9% | 26No options | $385M |
| RVRF River Financial Corp. | 50.00 | 110.88 | +55% | 38No options | $391M |
| ISTR Investar Holding Corporation | 28.49 | 27.40 | -4% | 19No options | $393M |
| PKBK Parke Bancorp, Inc. | 33.44 | 48.92 | +32% | 51Fair | $393M |
| TSBK Timberland Bancorp, Inc. | 48.16 | 46.79 | -3% | 36Weak | $374M |
| FRST Primis Financial Corp | 15.07 | 57.28 | +74% | 41Weak | $374M |
| NWFL Norwood Financial Corp. | 36.59 | 49.63 | +26% | 33No options | $399M |
| WSBF Waterstone Financial, Inc. | 20.50 | 31.04 | +34% | 45Weak | $369M |
| USCB USCB Financial Holdings, Inc. | 19.94 | 31.98 | +38% | 34No options | $368M |
| BRBS Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. | 4.07 | 2.23 | -82% | 30Weak | $365M |
| CFFI C&F Financial Corporation | 112.23 | 102.19 | -10% | 21No options | $365M |
⚖ Compare MFGI with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about MFGI
Is MFGI undervalued right now?
No: at 47.00 the stock trades 23% above the GLS average fair value of 38.33 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of MFGI and what does it mean?
MFGI has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), stays under 70 and is shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for MFGI?
38.33 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Merchants Financial Group, Inc. report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for MFGI in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does MFGI have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on MFGI, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score stays under 70.