VMware Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued
- By GF Value
The stock of VMware (NYSE:VMW, 30-year Financials) is believed to be fairly valued, 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 $162.57 per share and the market cap of $68.1 billion, VMware stock gives every indication of being fairly valued. GF Value for VMware is shown in the chart below.
Because VMware is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which averaged 12% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.49% annually over the next three to five years.
Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.
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. VMware has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.80, which which ranks worse than 73% of the companies in Software industry. The overall financial strength of VMware is 5 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of VMware is fair. This is the debt and cash of VMware over the past years:
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. VMware has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $11.8 billion and earnings of $4.87 a share. Its operating margin of 20.66% better than 88% of the companies in Software industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks VMware's profitability as strong. This is the revenue and net income of VMware over the past years:
Growth is probably one of the most important factors 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. If a company's business is growing, the company usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Likewise, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. VMware's 3-year average revenue growth rate is better than 66% of the companies in Software industry. VMware's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 16.5%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry.
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, VMware's return on invested capital is 7.72, and its cost of capital is 6.84. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of VMware is shown below:
In conclusion, the stock of VMware (NYSE:VMW, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. To learn more about VMware stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
