A Look At The Fair Value Of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBSS)

Key Insights

• The projected fair value for John B. Sanfilippo & Son is US$133 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

• John B. Sanfilippo & Son's US$111 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBSS) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for John B. Sanfilippo & Son

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033
Levered FCF ($, Millions)	US$79.5m	US$78.8m	US$78.7m	US$79.2m	US$80.0m	US$81.1m	US$82.4m	US$83.8m	US$85.4m	US$87.0m
Growth Rate Estimate Source	Est @ -2.32%	Est @ -0.99%	Est @ -0.06%	Est @ 0.59%	Est @ 1.05%	Est @ 1.37%	Est @ 1.59%	Est @ 1.75%	Est @ 1.85%	Est @ 1.93%
Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.9%	US$74.4	US$69.0	US$64.5	US$60.7	US$57.4	US$54.5	US$51.8	US$49.3	US$47.0	US$44.8

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$573m

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.9%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF₂₀₃₃ × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$87m× (1 + 2.1%) ÷ (6.9%– 2.1%) = US$1.9b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)¹⁰= US$1.9b÷ ( 1 + 6.9%)¹⁰= US$963m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$1.5b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$111, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at John B. Sanfilippo & Son as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for John B. Sanfilippo & Son

Strength

• Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

• Debt is not viewed as a risk.

• Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

• Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market.

Opportunity

• Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

• Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine JBSS' earnings prospects.

Threat

• No apparent threats visible for JBSS.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For John B. Sanfilippo & Son, we've put together three essential elements you should assess:

1. Risks: Take risks, for example - John B. Sanfilippo & Son has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

2. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

3. Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NASDAQGS every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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