Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap

- By GF Value

The stock of Baozun (NAS:BZUN, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being possible value trap, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $37.89 per share and the market cap of $3 billion, Baozun stock appears to be possible value trap. GF Value for Baozun is shown in the chart below.


Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap
Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap

The reason we think that Baozun stock might be a value trap is because its Piotroski F-score is only 3, out of the total of 9. Such a low Piotroski F-score indicates the company is getting worse in multiple aspects in the areas of profitability, funding and efficiency. In this case, investors should look beyond the low valuation of the company and make sure it has no long-term risks. To learn more about how the Piotroski F-score measures the business trend of a company, please go here.

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Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid permanent capital loss, an investor must do their research and review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to to understand its financial strength. Baozun has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.80, which which ranks better than 72% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Cyclical. The overall financial strength of Baozun is 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Baozun is fair. This is the debt and cash of Baozun over the past years:

Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap
Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap

Investing in profitable companies carries less risk, especially in companies that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. Typically, a company with high profit margins offers better performance potential than a company with low profit margins. Baozun has been profitable 5 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $1.3 billion and earnings of $0.933 a share. Its operating margin of 6.37% better than 70% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Cyclical. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Baozun's profitability as fair. This is the revenue and net income of Baozun over the past years:

Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap
Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Baozun is 24.7%, which ranks better than 93% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Cyclical. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 51.4%, which ranks better than 91% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Cyclical.

Another method of determining the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, Baozun's return on invested capital is 11.60, and its cost of capital is 8.11. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Baozun is shown below:

Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap
Baozun Stock Appears To Be Possible Value Trap

In summary, the stock of Baozun (NAS:BZUN, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be possible value trap. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks better than 91% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Cyclical. To learn more about Baozun stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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