Is TC Energy Corporation (TSE:TRP) Expensive For A Reason? A Look At Its Intrinsic Value

Key Insights

• The projected fair value for TC Energy is CA$36.02 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

• Current share price of CA$45.25 suggests TC Energy is potentially 26% overvalued

• Our fair value estimate is 37% lower than TC Energy's analyst price target of CA$56.94

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of TC Energy Corporation (TSE:TRP) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for TC Energy

Is TC Energy Fairly Valued?

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or 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.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033
Levered FCF (CA$, Millions)	CA$1.86b	CA$2.55b	CA$3.85b	CA$4.39b	CA$4.78b	CA$5.11b	CA$5.38b	CA$5.61b	CA$5.80b	CA$5.98b
Growth Rate Estimate Source	Analyst x6	Analyst x6	Analyst x4	Analyst x3	Est @ 8.98%	Est @ 6.82%	Est @ 5.32%	Est @ 4.26%	Est @ 3.52%	Est @ 3.01%
Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 13%	CA$1.6k	CA$2.0k	CA$2.6k	CA$2.7k	CA$2.6k	CA$2.4k	CA$2.2k	CA$2.1k	CA$1.9k	CA$1.7k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$22b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 1.8%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 13%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF₂₀₃₃ × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = CA$6.0b× (1 + 1.8%) ÷ (13%– 1.8%) = CA$53b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)¹⁰= CA$53b÷ ( 1 + 13%)¹⁰= CA$15b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is CA$37b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CA$45.3, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. 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

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the 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 TC Energy 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 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.932. 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 TC Energy

Strength

• Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

• Earnings declined over the past year.

• Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

• Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

• Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

• Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Canadian market.

Threat

• Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

• Dividends are not covered by earnings.

• Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the Canadian market.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value lower than the current share price? For TC Energy, we've put together three pertinent aspects you should assess:

1. Risks: For instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for TC Energy (2 are a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

2. Future Earnings: How does TRP's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart.

3. 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!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the TSX 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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