MBUU Stock Study (5-1-23)

I recently did a stock study on Malibu Boats Inc. (MBUU) with a closing price of $56.75.

M* writes:

     > Malibu Boats is a leading designer and manufacturer of power
     > boats in the United States. It is the market leader in
     > performance sport boats, sold under its Malibu and Axis brands.
     > It acquired Cobalt Boats, a leading producer of sterndrive
     > boats in the U.S. in the 24-foot to 29-foot segment, and
     > Pursuit Boats, which makes high-end offshore and outboard
     > motorboats in 2018. In 2021, it purchased Maverick Boat Group,
     > a leading seller of flat fishing boats, with exposure to bay,
     > dual-console, and center-console boats. Malibu has also
     > expanded into boat trailers and accessories, and in 2020
     > began producing its own engines (Monsoon) for its performance
     > sport boats. Malibu’s target market includes a wide range of
     > water enthusiasts who embrace active lifestyles.

Over the last 10 years, this medium-size (as of 2022) company has grown sales and earnings at annualized rates of 25.7% and 33.6% (75.6% if ’14 is included when the company posted a loss), respectively. Lines are mostly up, straight, and parallel except for sales decline in ’20 and EPS declines in ’14, ’18, and ’20. PTPM over the decade is higher than peer and industry averages and has increased from 10.8% in ’13 to 17.3% in ’22. The last-5-year average is 15.5%.

ROE over the last five years is slightly better than peer and industry averages—ranging from 22.9% (’18) to 35.6% (’19) with a mean of 29.9%. Debt-to-Capital is slightly lower than peer and industry averages—declining from 152% in ’15 to 19.5% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 30.6%. Interest Coverage is 62 and Quick Ratio is 0.8. M* rates the company Standard for Capital Allocation while Value Line assigns a B++ rating for Financial Strength.

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 6% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 8.3% YOY and 4.1% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 8 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 7.5% growth and 2.5% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (8).
• Zacks projects YOY 7.8% growth and 3.1% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (4).
• Value Line projects 6.6% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects growth of 7.4% YOY and 2.4% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (6).
• M* gives 2-year annualized ACE of 6.6% along with projecting 8.0% growth for the next five years in an analyst note.

I am forecasting less than both long-term estimates.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 4% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 3.3% YOY growth and 1.4% contraction per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 8 analysts), along with a 5-year annualized growth of 10.1%.
• MarketWatch projects 0.5% contraction per year and 1.1% growth per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25 (9 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 4.8% YOY contraction for ’24 (4).
• YF projects YOY 3.4% growth and 5.4% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (8), along with 5-year annualized growth of 15.0%.
• Zacks projects YOY 4.4% growth and 4.4% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (4).
• Value Line projects 3.2% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects growth of 7.2% YOY and 1.2% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (9).
• M* projects long-term growth of 10.1%.

I am forecasting toward the bottom of the long-term range (mean of 4 estimates: 9.6%). Despite the first two quarters of growth for ’23 ending with $8.23/share, I am projecting from the last annual EPS ($7.51/share).

My Forecast High P/E is 13. Excluding the upside outlier in ’18 (34.2), high P/E has trended down from 26.0 (’15) to 11.5 (’22) with a last-5-year average of 16.9. I am forecasting toward the bottom of the range (only ’22 value is lower).

My Forecast Low P/E is 5. From ’15 to ’22, low P/E has trended down from 17.4 to 6.4 with a last-5-year average of 10.0. I am projecting below the entire range and [as mentioned above] using ’22 EPS of $7.51 rather than Q2 2023.

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $37.50. This is 33.4% less than the previous close and 19.0% less than the 52-week low.

These inputs land MBUU in the BUY zone with an U/D ratio of 3.2. The Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 15.9%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 7.7%, which is a bit lower than I would like for a medium-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on the TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 233 studies done in the past 90 days (62 outliers and my study excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 8.5%, 10.0%, 14.8, and 7.8. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 10.0, which is lower than MS (11.3) and higher than me (9.0).

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $12.66/share and $7.59/share compared to my $9.14 and $7.51. My high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate and my low EPS would be higher had I included the most recent quarters of growth [not doing so bolsters MOS]. MS LSPF is $45.80, which is 22.1% higher than mine and much lower than the default value of $7.59 * 7.8 = $59.20. MOS seems robust in the current study.

I would look to sail away with shares under $57.00.

As a housekeeping note, this was my second consecutive quarter studying MBUU. Quarterly reviews will become commonplace for many stocks. No changes had to be made for anything in the history, corporate description, or Forecast High/Low P/E sections. This will probably be the case most of the time unless the current study begins a new FY. In that case, a new annual data point may replace the oldest in the 10-year range thereby creating a new distribution.

YETI Stock Study (5-22-23)

I recently did a stock study on YETI Holdings (YETI) with a closing price of $39.33.

M* writes:

     > YETI Holdings Inc is a designer, marketer, and distributor of premium
     > products for the outdoor and recreation market sold under the YETI
     > brand. The company offers products including coolers and equipment,
     > drinkware, and other accessories. Its trademark products include YETI,
     > Tundra, Hopper, YETI TANK, Rambler, Colster, Rambler Colster, Roadie,
     > and Wildly Stronger! Keep Ice Longer!, SideKick, FatWall, PermaFrost,
     > T-Rex, ColdLock, NeverFail, AnchorPoint, InterLock, BearFoot, Vortex,
     > DoubleHaul, LipGrip, Vortex, DryHide, ColdCell, HydroLock, Over-the-
     > Nose, and LOAD-AND-LOCK. The company distributes products through
     > wholesale channels and through direct-to-consumer, or DTC, channels.

This medium-size company has grown sales and earnings at annualized rates of 32.5% and 19.3% over the last 9 and 7 years, respectively [’13-’14 EPS excluded due to small fractional values that artificially inflate the growth rate]. The visual inspection is mediocre. Sales are up and straight except for spike in ’15 and decline in ’17. EPS are down in ’16, ’17, ’19, and ’22 [I will exclude the latter 57.1% YOY decline due to operational snafus including recall of defective items and inflation-induced demand destruction per Value Line]. PTPM has led peer and industry averages with a last-5-year average of 12.3%.

ROE has averaged 47.6% over the last four years (too brief a history to compare peer and industry averages). Debt-to-Capital has been declining since ’16 and fell below than peer and industry averages in ’20 with a last-5-year average of 50.9% [23.8% in ’22]. Interest coverage is 23.7 and quick ratio is 0.80. Value Line rates the company B+ for Financial Strength.

I forecast long-term sales growth of 7% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 6.3% YOY and 9.0% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24 (based on 14 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 6.4% and 12.1% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (16 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 3.7% growth and 11.5% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (8).
• Value Line projects 9.4% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects growth of 6.4% YOY and 9.2% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (16).
• M* offers a 2-year annualized ACE of 9.5% growth.

I am forecasting conservatively below the long-term estimate.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 8% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 6.8% YOY contraction and 8.1% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 14 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 9.4%.
• MarketWatch projects growth of 7.9% and 12.7% per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25, respectively (16 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 26.4% YOY growth for ’24 (8).
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 11.2%.
• YF projects YOY 6.8% contraction and 25.5% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (14), along with 5-year annualized growth of 8.6%.
• Zacks projects YOY 7.6% contraction and 24.3% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (9), along with 5-year annualized growth of 14.7%.
• Value Line projects annualized growth of 12.5% from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 4.3% YOY contraction and 4.9% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (14).

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range (mean of six: 11.3%). I am also projecting from the trendline ($1.90/share) rather than ’22 EPS of $1.03/share or Q1 ’23 EPS of $0.85/share (annualized). I would have otherwise projected from the ’20 EPS [rather than the ’21 $2.40/share due to its 33% YOY spike] of $1.77/share [close to the ’22 trendline at $1.90] and projected forward seven years [rather than five]. The trendline works out well.

My Forecast High P/E is 31. With the stock trading publicly since ’18, high P/E has increased since the first year’s 31.1 for a last-5-year average of 53.0. The last-5-year-average average P/E is 36.9. I am forecasting below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 14. Over the last five years, low P/E has ranged from 8.6 (perhaps a downside outlier) in ’20 to 27.0 in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 20.8. I am forecasting conservatively (18.0 in ’18 being the second-lowest value).

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default [using $1.90/share] value of $26.60. This is 32.4% less than the previous close and 4.7% less than the 52-week low.

These inputs land YETI in the BUY zone with an U/D ratio of 3.7. Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 17.1%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 9.8%, which is less than I seek for a medium-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 72 studies done in the past 90 days (my study and 15 outliers excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 10.0%, 14.5%, 31.6, and 18.7. I am lower across the board. Value Line’s future average annual P/E of 20.0 is lower than both MS (25.2) and mine (22.5).

With regard to EPS, MS high and low are $2.09/share and $1.02/share in contrast to my $2.79 and $1.90. I’m guessing many studies use ’22 EPS as the initial value. I won’t call this unreasonable because only in time can we know if that was a non-recurring item, but I feel my above-stated reasoning for using the trendline is conservative. As another data point, Value Line projects high EPS of $4.25/share: a much higher value that offsets my 2.5-point higher average annual P/E. I believe MOS to be healthy in this study provided the earnings bounceback does occur.

MS LSPF of $23.30 implies a Forecast Low P/E of 22.8 (versus the above-stated 18.7), is 12.4% less than mine (more conservative), and is 22.2% higher (more aggressive) than the $1.02 * 18.7 = $19.07 default.

YETI is a BUY under $41. Given my assumption for bounceback, I will lower this to $39.

All this complication over what to use as an initial projection point is good reason to prefer “up, straight, and parallel.”

BOOT Stock Study (4-26-23)

I recently did a stock study on Boot Barn Holdings Inc. (BOOT) with a closing price of $70.09.

M* writes:

     > Boot Barn Holdings Inc operates specialty retail stores. The
     > company sells western and work-related footwear, apparel, and
     > accessories in the United States. It is a single operating
     > segment, which includes net sales generated from its retail
     > stores and e-commerce websites.

This medium-sized company has grown sales at an annualized rate of 18.5% over the last 10 years and EPS 41.8% per year since 2014. Lines are mostly up, straight, and parallel except for EPS dip in ’15 and projected dip in ’22 (FY ends 3/23). PTPM over the last 10 years has risen from 0.6% to 17% (upside outlier in ’21) with a last-5-year average (excluding the outlier) of 6.6%. This was below peer and industry averages until 2020.

ROE has increased from 10.1% in ’14 to 34.0% in ’21. The last-5-year average is 18.9%, which seems slightly below (above) the industry (peer) average. Debt-to-Capital has averaged 45.7% over the last five years and has been higher than peer and industry averages until ’19. The company has no long-term debt, though, and Interest Coverage is 48.8. Value Line gives a B+ rating for Financial Strength.

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 7% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 13.3% YOY and 9.5% per year for ’22 and ’21-’23, respectively (based on 13 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 12.5% and 7.6% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (14 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 12.7% and 8.2% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (5).
• Value Line projects 7.5% growth per year from ’21-’27 (FY ’22 still labeled as incomplete).
• CFRA projects 12.6% YOY and 10.1% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (14).
• M* gives a 2-year ACE of 9.1%.

I am forecasting just below the range.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 4% based on the following:

• CNN Business reports contraction of 10.1% YOY and 1.6% per year for ’22 and ’21-’23, respectively (based on 13 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 6.6%.
• MarketWatch projects 1.6% per year contraction and 2.8% growth per year from ’22-’24 and ’22-’25 (14 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 8.7% YOY growth and 11.7% growth per year for ’24 and ’23-’25, respectively (6, 7, and 2 analysts for ’23, ’24, and ’25).
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 18.5%.
• YF projects YOY 12.2% contraction and 7.4% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively, along with 1.2% growth per year for the next five years (14).
• Zacks projects YOY 9.6% contraction and 8.1% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively, along with 10.6% growth per year for the next five years (5).
• Value Line projects annualized growth of 4.2% from ’21-’27 (FY ’22 still labeled as incomplete).
• CFRA projects 12.5% YOY contraction and 2.6% contraction per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (14).

I am forecasting near the lower end of the long-term-estimate range (mean of five: 8.2%).

My Forecast High P/E is 19. High P/E has ranged from 19.3 (’17) to 93.1 (upside outlier in ’15) since 2014. The last-5-year average is 25.6. I am forecasting below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 7. Low P/E has ranged from 4.9 (’19) to 31.3 (upside outlier in ’14) since 2014. The last-5-year average is 7.2. I am forecasting higher than values from ’17, ’19, and ’20.

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $38.90. This is 44.5% less than the previous close and 22.5% less than the 52-week low.

These inputs land BOOT in the HOLD zone with an U/D ratio of 1.9. The Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 12.9%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 4.6%. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 133 studies done in the past 90 days (61 outliers and my study excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 9.2%, 10.0%, 20.0, and 7.2. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 17.0, which is higher than MS (13.6) and higher than me (13.0). MOS seems healthy, here.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $8.95/share and $5.56/share compared to my $6.76 and $5.56. My high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate, and the latter is TTM (default) as of today’s date [although this is the first time I’ve never seen these match, I’ll chalk it up to coincidence since the mean low EPS is $5.70]. MS LSPF is $44.60 (14.7% higher than mine), which is ~11% more than the default $5.56 * 7.2 = $40.03, implies a Forecast Low P/E of 8.0, and effectively raises the MS future average P/E to 14.0.

I would look to re-evaluate under $61/share.

LULU Stock Study (4-25-23)

I recently did a stock study on Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU) with a closing price of $381.37.

M* writes:

     > Lululemon Athletica Inc. designs, distributes, and markets
     > athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men,
     > and girls. Lululemon offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets
     > for both leisure and athletic activities such as yoga and
     > running. The company also sells fitness accessories, such
     > as bags, yoga mats, and equipment.

This medium-size company has grown sales and EPS at rates of 19.2% and 19.4% per year since 2013. Lines are mostly up [EPS dipped in ’14, ’17, ’20, and ’22 (N.B.: Both CFRA and Value Line report earnings growth in this most recently completed FY)], straight, and parallel. PTPM over the last 10 years leads peer and industry averages despite falling from 25.0% in ’13 to 16.4% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 20.1%.

ROE over the last 10 years is roughly equal to the industry averages while outpacing peers, ranging from 16.8% (’17) to 39.0% (’19) and posting a last-5-year average of 32.9%. Debt-to-Capital was zero through 2018. As the company maintains zero long-term debt, this remains much lower than peer and industry averages with a last-5-year average of 20.2% (leases).

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 10% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 14.8% YOY and 13.9% per year for ’23 (FY actually ends in Jan) and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 26 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 15.5% and 13.4% for ’24 and ’25, respectively (27 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 15.7% and 11.9% per year for ’24 and ’25, respectively (12).
• Value Line projects 11.5% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 15.0% YOY and 15.1% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25, respectively.
• M* gives a 2-year ACE of 12.5% annualized growth while projecting 11.0% for the next 10 years in its analyst note.

I am forecasting just below the range.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 13% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 14.7% YOY and 15.4% per year for ’23 (FY actually ends in Jan) and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 27 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 14.9%.
• MarketWatch projects annualized growth of 16.4% and 16.2% for ’23-’25 and ’23-’26 (33 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects annualized growth of 12.7% and 14.0% for ’24-’26 and ’24-’27, respectively [15, 5, and 1 analyst(s) for ’24, ’26, and ’27].
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 16.8%.
• YF projects YOY 15.3% and 15.8% for ’24 and ’25, respectively (26), along with 5-year annualized growth of 16.7%.
• Zacks projects YOY 13.9% and 16.0% for ’24 and ’25, respectively (16), along with 5-year annualized growth of 20.0%.
• Value Line projects 13.5% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 14.2% YOY and 16.9% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, along with a 3-year projected CAGR of 18.0%.
• M* projects long-term annualized growth of 18.5%.

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range (mean of six: 16.7%).

My Forecast High P/E is 36. High P/E has ranged from 37 (’15 and ’16) to 88.9 (upside outlier in ’20) over the last 10 years. The last 5-year average excluding ’20 is 55.5 and trending higher. I am forecasting conservatively just below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 30. Low P/E has ranged from 20.7 (’18) to 37.7 (’22) over the last 10 years. The last 5-year average is 30.3. I am forecasting relatively high because anything less makes for an unreasonable Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF).

My LSPF is the default value of $200.40. This is 47.5% less than the previous close and 20.3% less than the 52-week low.

These inputs land LULU in the HOLD zone with an U/D ratio of 0.3. The Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 3.0%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 1.3%. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I could proceed based on TAR instead. Even this is less than what T-bills are paying right now, however.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 394 studies done in the past 90 days (72 total outliers and my study excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 15.0%, 16.0%, 39.3, and 26.5. I am lower on all but Forecast Low P/E (see explanation above). Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 31.0, which is lower than MS (32.9) and lower than me (33.0). MOS is hardly discernable in the current study.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $16.76/share and $8.17/share compared to my $12.31 and $6.68. My high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate, but I am challenged to explain the latter (see N.B. above). MS Low Stock Price Forecast is $219.30 (9.4% higher than mine). This is consistent with the default $8.17 * 26.5 = $216.50.

From this analyst’s perspective, being up 18.9% in the last six months has this stock overcooked. I would look to re-evaluate under $261/share.

CVS Stock Study (4-24-23)

I recently did a stock study on CVS Health Corp. (CVS) with a closing price of $74.84.

Value Line writes:

     > CVS Health Corp. is the nation’s foremost integrated health-
     > care services provider, combining one of the nation’s leading
     > pharmaceutical services companies with the country’s largest
     > pharmacy chain. It fills or manages roughly four billion
     > prescriptions per year through its Pharmacy Services and
     > Retail/LTC segments and has 9,600-plus locations across the
     > U.S. and Puerto Rico. Acquired Drogaria Onofre, giving it a
     > presence in Brazil in 2/13. Retail stores average about
     > 9,900 square feet. Pharmacy (Rx) contributes 77.5% of sales.

This mega-size (over $50B annual revenue) company has grown sales and EPS at annualized rates of 11.2% and 1.2%, respectively, over the last decade. The latter, which excludes a loss in ’18 (goodwill impairment charges), was hurt by non-recurring events in ’22. This is explained in the 10-K:

     > Operating income decreased $5.4 billion, or 41.3%, in 2022
     > compared to 2021. The decrease in operating income was
     > primarily driven by the $5.8 billion of opioid litigation charges
     > and declines in the Retail/LTC segment, which included a $2.5
     > billion loss on assets held for sale related to the write-
     > down of the Company’s Omnicare® long-term care business.

Excluding ’22 [and ’18], historical EPS growth is 5.3%.

Sales are up and mostly straight while EPS dips in ’18 and ’22. PTPM has trended lower over the last 10 years while lagging peer and industry averages. The last-5-year average is 2.6%.

ROE has also lagged peer and industry averages over the previous decade with a last-5-year average of 7.1%. Debt-to-Capital has been higher than peer and industry averages with a last-5-year average of 53.9%. Interest Coverage is 3.5 and although Value Line offers an A+ rating for Financial Strength, M* rates “on the weak side of Standard” for Capital Allocation.

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 2% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 3.5% YOY and 0.5% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 13 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 3.7% growth and 2.0% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (21 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 4.0% growth and 2.7% contraction for ’23 and ’24, respectively (7).
• Value Line projects 3.4% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 1.1% YOY growth and 3.0% contraction per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively.
• M* gives a 2-year ACE of 3.0% annualized growth.

I am forecasting conservatively.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 26% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 1.0% YOY and 2.3% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 13 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 6.7%.
• MarketWatch projects annualized growth of 2.6% and 4.8% for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25 (25 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects growth of 2.7% YOY and 7.0% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25, respectively (11, 9, and 6 analysts for ’23, ’24, and ’25).
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 5.9%.
• YF projects YOY 0.9% and 3.4% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (22), along with 5-year annualized growth at 5.0%.
• Zacks projects YOY 0.8% and 2.6% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (9), along with 5-year annualized growth of 7.3%.
• Value Line projects 4.8% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 2.0% YOY and 5.6% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively, along with a 3-year projected CAGR of 5%.
• M* projects long-term annualized growth of 5.6%.

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range at 4% (mean of six: 5.9%).

As discussed above, non-recurrent events sapped 2022 earnings. Value Line, which excludes one-time charges, lists ’21 and ’22 EPS as $8.40 and $8.69 as opposed to M* $5.95 and $3.14. To be conservative, I will project out five years from Value Line’s ’21 (not ’22) stated EPS to get $10.22. This is roughly equivalent to a 26% growth rate on $3.14 to get $9.97.

My Forecast High P/E is 12. Excluding ’18 (NMF) and ’22 (upside outlier 35.4), high P/E over the last 10 years has ranged from 13.1 (’17) to 24.9 (’14) with a last-5-year average of 15.6. I am forecasting below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 6. Excluding ’18 (NMF) and ’22 (upside outlier 27.5), low P/E over the last 10 years has ranged from 9.5 (’20) to 17.6 (’15) with a last-5-year average of 10.4. I am forecasting below the range.

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $50.40. This is 30.8% less than the previous close and 25.9% less than the ’21 low (stock currently trades near the 52-week low).

Payout Ratio over the last 10 years has ranged from 24.0% in ’13 to 39.4% in ’19 excluding ’18 (NMF) and ’22 (upside outlier 70.1%). The last-5-year average is 36.5%. I am forecasting conservatively at 20.0%.

These inputs land CVS in the HOLD zone with an U/D ratio of 2.1. The Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 12.1%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 6.5%. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 495 studies done in the past 90 days (122 total outliers including my own excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 5.0%, 7.9%, 17.5, 12.6, and 33.8%. I am lower on everything but EPS growth for which I modified the projection point. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 12.0, which is lower than MS (15.1) and higher than me (9.0). What this all implies for MOS is unclear.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $4.70/share and $4.45/share compared to my $9.97 and $8.40. MS seems to be confused on two counts. First, despite projecting a 7.9% EPS growth rate per year, MS low and high EPS [both five years into the future] are only 6% apart. This is not something I have noted before, but going forward with other stock studies I probably should. Second, although the $4.70 is ~ $3.14 * (1.08 ^ 5), that basically leaves ’27 earnings equal to ’15-’16. According to Value Line, both EPS (and FCF/share) have nearly doubled over that time interval.

While these observations cast doubt over the current batch of MS data, analysts’ estimates do support the depressed MS high and low EPS. Without exclusion of one-time charges, I would expect a much higher growth rate to reclaim the historical trendline (e.g. my 26%, or ’23 and ’24 EPS projections for TGT, which I last studied on 4/19/23). The highest of five long-term EPS estimates—Zacks at 7.3%—is not suggestive of any catch-up and with analyst long-term growth rates understood as projections from the last completed FY, no catch-up will be forthcoming. I question the apparent contradiction.

MS LSPF is $57.00 (13.1% higher than mine). This is consistent with the default $4.45 * 12.6 = $56.07.

I would look to re-evaluate this stock under $65/share.

DPZ Stock Study (5-16-23)

I recently did a stock study on Domino’s Pizza Inc. (DPZ) with a closing price of $307.85.

CFRA writes:

     > Domino’s is a fast-growing restaurant company and the largest
     > pizza company in the world, it has more than 18,800 locations,
     > primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The company is primarily a
     > franchisor, with only 2% of stores being company owned. DPZ
     > has three reportable segments, which include U.S. stores,
     > international franchises, and supply chain operations.

Over the last 10 years, this medium-size company has grown sales and earnings at annualized rates of 11.7% and 23.3% per year, respectively. Lines are mostly up, straight, and parallel except for declining earnings in ’22. PTPM over the decade has been up and down within a narrow range of 12.5% (’13 and ’18) to 14.4% (’17 and ’21) with a last-5-year average of 13.3%. This is higher than peers but lower than industry averages.

Over the last decade, ROE has ranged from d15.2% (’20) to d9.0% (’17) with a last-5-year average of d12.3%. Yes, those are all negative numbers that are less than peers in 8 out of 10 years. The industry posted positive ROE in 5 of 9 years. Although strange, one other well-known company that carries an ongoing shareholders’ deficit [rather than equity] is SBUX.

Over the last 10 years, Debt-to-Capital has ranged from 412% (’20) to 754% (’17) with a last-5-year average of 516%. This soars high above peer and industry averages. Without doing further research, one thing I find strange is that leverage often boosts ROE; here, leverage is enormous and ROE is negative. Two more yellow flags are Interest Coverage and Quick Ratio at 3.9 and 0.74, respectively.

M* does not seem worried about the debt load. About the “average” balance sheet, the analyst report writes:

     > Strong FCF offers more than adequate coverage [preventing the
     > company from meaningful default risk]… staggered debt maturities
     > over the next three years show a negligible amount of principal
     > coming due over the next three years… a flexible net debt/EBITDA
     > target of 3-6 times designed to minimize the firm’s cost of capital
     > based on prevailing market rates and interest deductibility [is] a
     > shareholder-friendly strategy that encourages management discipline.

M* gives DPZ an Exemplary rating for Capital Allocation [along with Wide/Stable Economic Moat]. Value Line does not mention debt at all in its most recent [5/19/23] commentary and rates the company A for Financial Strength.

Anecdotally, DPZ seems to have a wealth of analyst coverage for a medium-size company. If debt were a huge problem, then I think it would be difficult to hide.

For those concerned, look no further than the company’s own 10-K under “Additional Disclosures/Risks Related to Our Indebtedness” for an extensive discussion of everything that could possibly go wrong due to a highly leveraged balance sheet.

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 6% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 2.2% YOY and 3.3% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 26 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 1.5% and 5.2% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (24 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 1.8% and 4.9% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (8).
• Value Line projects 6.4% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 1.9% YOY and 3.6% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively.
• M* provides a 2-year annualized ACE of 2.9% and projects 7.0% long-term growth in its analyst note.

I am forecasting less than the two long-term estimates.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 9% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 6.8% YOY and 9.4% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 26 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 11.7%.
• MarketWatch projects 11.3% and 11.4% per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25, respectively (32 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 11.9% YOY and 12.9% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25 (11, 11, and 2 analysts for ’23, ’24, and ’25).
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 10.5%.
• YF projects YOY 10.8% and 12.0% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (30), along with 5-year annualized growth of 10.8%.
• Zacks projects YOY 6.4% and 11.9% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (11), along with 5-year annualized growth of 11.8%.
• Value Line projects 17.0% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 5.7% YOY and 9.1% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively, along with a 3-year CAGR of 3.0%.
• M* projects long-term annualized growth of 11.0%.

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range (mean of six: 12.1%). To be conservative, I am projecting from the ’22 EPS of $12.53/share rather than Q1 ’23 EPS (annualized) of $12.97/share.

My Forecast High P/E is 25. Over the last 10 years, high P/E has trended up from 28.7 (’13) to 45.1 (’22) with a last-5-year average of 38.1. I am projecting conservatively below the entire range (5-year-average average P/E is 30.5).

My Forecast Low P/E is 19. Over the last 10 years, low P/E has ranged from 17.7 (’13) to 26.8 (’15 and ’17) with a last-5-year average of 23.0. I am forecasting near the bottom of the range (only ’13 is lower).

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $238.10. This is 22.7% less than the previous close and 18.2% less than the 52-week low.

Over the last 10 years, Payout Ratio has ranged from 25.2% in ’20 to 35.7% in ’15 with a last-5-year average of 28.3%. I am forecasting conservatively at 25.0%.

These inputs land DPZ in the HOLD zone with an U/D ratio of 2.8. Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 10.4%.

PAR (using Forecast Average–not High–P/E) is 7.8%, which is less than I seek for a medium-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can focus on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on only 85 studies done in the past 90 days (15 outliers plus my study excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, Forecast Low P/E, and Payout Ratio are 6.8%, 10.3%, 30.1, 22.5, and 28.3%. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 25.0: lower than MS (26.3) and higher than mine (22.0).

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $20.92/share and $12.54/share in contrast to my $19.28 and $12.97. My high EPS is lower due to a lower EPS growth rate. MS LSPF of $273.80 implies a Forecast Low P/E of 21.8 (versus the above-stated 22.5), is 15.0% greater than mine, and is just 3.0% less than the $12.54 * 22.5 = $282.15 default.

Shares are a BUY under $305 given an apparently healthy MOS in this study, but two things still give me pause. First, I want TAR closer to 15.0%. Second, the high debt load [albeit an inextricable component of the business model] makes me uncomfortable since some investment club guidelines prohibit it.

I will look to re-evaluate this stock under $295/share.

TTEK Stock Study (4-20-23)

I recently did a stock study on Tetra Tech Inc. (TTEK) with a closing price of $140.77.

CFRA writes:

     > Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) is a leading provider of consulting
     > and engineering services that focus on water, environment,
     > infrastructure, resource management, renewable energy, and
     > international development. TTEK typically begins at the
     > earliest stage of a project by identifying technical
     > solutions and developing execution plans tailored to
     > clients’ needs and resources. TTEK’s solutions may span
     > the entire life cycle of consulting and engineering
     > projects and include applied science, data analysis,
     > research, engineering, design, construction management,
     > and operations and maintenance.

Over the last 10 years, this medium-size company has grown sales and EPS at annualized rates of 3.9% and 16.7% [’13 (d$0.03/share) and ’15 ($0.64/share) excluded to avoid artificial inflation of the growth rate]. Lines are mostly up, narrowing, and parallel except for sales dip in ’20 and the aforementioned EPS dip in ’15. PTPM has led peer and industry averages while trending up from 0.5% in ’13 to 10.0% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 7.5%.

Over the last decade, ROE has also led peer and industry averages while trending up from 9.8% in ’14 (’13 was negative) to 21.5% in ’22 (last-5-year average: 17.5%). Having no long-term debt, Debt-to-Capital has been lower than peer and industry averages despite climbing from 17.2% in ’13 to 28.1% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 26.8%.

From the latest quarter, Interest Coverage is 27.5 and Quick Ratio 1.2. Value Line assigns a B++ rating for Financial Strength.

I forecast 7% long-term annualized sales growth based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 17.9% YOY and 15.0% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 4 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 21.7% and 10.8% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (3 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 22.6% and 12.8% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (6).
• Value Line projects 7.8% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 8.9% YOY and 9.2% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively.

I am forecasting just below the range.

I forecast 7% long-term annualized EPS growth based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 11.3% YOY and 12.4% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 4 analysts), along with 5-year annualized at 16.0%.
• MarketWatch projects 13.6% and 7.2% per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25 (6 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 19.5% YOY for ’24 (1).
• YF projects YOY 11.6% and 12.7% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (4), along with 5-year annualized growth at 4.9%.
• Zacks projects YOY 11.6% and 19.5% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (7).
• Value Line projects 16.6% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 12.4% YOY and 10.7% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, along with a 3-year projected CAGR of 14%.

I am forecasting toward the lower end of the long-term-estimate range (mean of three: 12.5%).

My Forecast High P/E is 27. Since ’14, high P/E has ranged from 18.6 (’14) to 43.5 (’15) with a last-5-year mean of 33.6 (9-year median = 30.7). Except for ’15, this has gradually been trending higher. I am forecasting at the last-5-year average P/E.

My Forecast Low P/E is 17. Since ’14, low P/E has ranged from 13.8 (’14) to 35.9 (’15) with a last-5-year average of 20.5. Except for ’15, this has gradually been trending higher. I am forecasting toward the lower end of the range [only ’14 and ’16 (16.1) are lower].

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $98.60. This is 30.0% less than the previous close, 16.8% less than the 52-week low, and 3.5% above the 2021 low.

Since dividend was instituted in ’14, Payout Ratio has ranged from 17.4% in ’21 (excluding 8.4% in ’14) to 46.9% in ’15 with a last-5-year average of 18.5%. I am forecasting conservatively at 10%.

These inputs land TTEK in the HOLD zone with an U/D ratio of 1.9. Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 9.7%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 5.4%, which is lower than I seek for a medium-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on [only] 41 studies done in the past 90 days (my study along with 15 outliers excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, Forecast Low P/E, and Payout Ratio are 5.5%, 10.0%, 29.6, 19.9, and 18.5%. I am lower on everything but sales growth. Value Line projects an average annual P/E of 23.5, which is less than MS (24.8) and higher than mine (22.0). MOS in the current study seems healthy.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $9.34/share and $5.59/share compared to my $8.13 and $5.80. My low EPS may be higher due to recent quarterly growth while my high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate. MS LSPF is $108.70 (10.2% higher than mine), which implies a Forecast Low P/E of 18.7. MS default LSPF is $5.80 * 19.9 = $115.42.

I would look to re-evaluate this stock under $128/share.

BLK Stock Study (4-19-23)

I recently did a stock study on Blackrock, Inc. (BLK) with a closing price of $694.03.

Value Line writes:

     > BlackRock, Inc., one of the world’s largest publicly traded
     > investment management firms, manages assets on behalf of
     > institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of
     > equity and balanced, fixed income, cash management,
     > alternative investment and advisory products. Also offers
     > investment system, risk management, and financial advisory
     > services. Assets under management: $8.6 trillion as of
     > 12/31/22. Acquired Barclays Global Investors in ’09.

This large-size company has grown sales and EPS at annualized rates of 7.3% and 9.2%, respectively, over the last decade. Lines are mostly up, straight, and parallel with the exception of sales/EPS dips in ’16 and ’22 and an additional EPS dip in ’18 (probably due to TCJA). PTPM leads peer and industry averages despite trending somewhat lower from 39.0% in ’13 to 35.2% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 39.1%.

ROE slightly trails industry and peer averages despite trending higher from 10.9% in ’13 to 13.7% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 14.0%. Debt-to-Capital has been much lower than peer and industry averages with a last-5-year average of 16.3%.

BLK’s financial health looks very strong. Current and Quick Ratios exceed 13.0 and 7.5, respectively, and Interest Coverage exceeds 30.0. Value Line rates the company A+ for Financial Strength and M* gives an Exemplary rating for Capital Allocation.

I forecast 5% long-term annualized sales growth based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 1.7% YOY and 6.2% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 13 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 0.8% and 11.0% for ’23 and ’24 (14 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 1.8% and 9.7% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (4).
• Value Line projects 8.6% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• M* gives a 2-year ACE of 5.7% annualized growth while projecting 5.1% for the next five years in its analyst note.

I am forecasting conservatively.

I forecast 6% long-term annualized EPS growth based on the following:

• CNN Business projects a 0.7% YOY contraction and 6.6% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 13 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 9.2%.
• MarketWatch projects 7.9% and 9.9% growth per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25 (19 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects growth of 16.1% YOY and 18.3% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25, respectively (7, 7, and 3 analysts for ’23, ’24, and ’25).
• YF projects YOY 0.7% contraction and 14.5% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (16), along with 5-year annualized growth at 6.9%.
• Zacks projects YOY 3.1% contraction and 16.1% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (7), along with 5-year annualized growth of 9.6%.
• Value Line projects 9.2% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects a 0.1% YOY contraction, and 7.7% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively, along with a 3-year projected CAGR of 13%.
• M* projects long-term annualized growth of 7.7%.

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range (mean of six: 8.9%).

My Forecast High P/E is 18. Over the last 10 years, high P/E has ranged from 17.3 (’17) to 27.3 (’22) with a last-5-year average of 23.2. I am forecasting near the bottom of the range [only ’17 and ’19 (17.9) are lower].

My Forecast Low P/E is 12. Over the last 10 years, low P/E has ranged from 10.2 (’20) to 17.6 (’21) with a last-5-year average of 13.9. I am forecasting near the bottom of the range (only ’20 is lower).

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $386.20. This is 44.4% less than the previous close and 23.2% less than the 52-week low.

Over the last 10 years, Payout Ratio has ranged from 33.2% in ’17 to 57.5% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 47.7%. I am forecasting conservatively at 33%.

These inputs land BLK in the SELL zone with an U/D ratio of 0.2. Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 3.9%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 0.7%. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead. Even that, though, is far less than I seek for a large-size company.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 149 studies done in the past 90 days (54 total outliers including my own excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 7.0%, 7.7%, 20.7, 13.4, and 43.1%. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 18.0, which is higher than MS (17.1) and higher than me (15.0). MOS in the current study seems robust.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $49.22/share and $33.34/share compared to my $43.07 and $32.18. My high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate. MS LSPF is $450.20 (16.6% higher than mine). This is consistent with the default $33.34 * 13.4 = $446.75, which is exactly what I like to see.

I would look to re-evaluate this stock under $483/share.

CTSH Stock Study (5-8-23)

I recently did a stock study on Cognizant Technology Solns Corp. (CTSH) with a closing price of $63.29. A previous study on this company was done here.

M* writes:

     > Cognizant is a global IT services provider, offering consulting
     > and outsourcing services to some of the world’s largest
     > enterprises spanning the financial services, media and
     > communications, healthcare, natural resources, and consumer
     > products industries. Cognizant employs nearly 300,000 people
     > globally, roughly 70% of whom are in India, although the
     > company’s headquarters are in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Over the last 10 years, this large-size company has grown sales and EPS at annualized rates of 8.5% and 7.4%, respectively. Lines are mostly up and parallel except for a sales dip in ’20 and some rockiness in EPS (down in ’16, ’17, ’19, and ’20). PTPM has been above peer and industry averages despite trending down from 19.1% in ’13 to 15.5% in ’22 with a last-5-year average of 15.2%.

ROE trails peer and industry averages over the last decade ranging from 12.2% in ’20 to 21.7% in ’13 with a last-5-year average of 17.1%. Despite increasing from 0% in ’13 to 11.1% in ’22, Debt-to-Capital is far lower than peers and the industry with a last-5-year average of 11.3%. Interest Coverage is over 100, Quick Ratio is 1.87, M* gives a Standard rating for Capital Allocation, and Value Line gives an A+ grade for Financial Strength.

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 4% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 2.3% YOY contraction and 3.0% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24 (based on 22 analysts).
• YF projects YOY growth of 0.3% and 5.3% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (27).
• Zacks projects YOY 0.2% contraction and 4.9% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (5).
• Value Line projects 4.7% annualized growth from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects growth of 0.5% YOY and 2.7% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively.
• M* offers a 2-year ACE of 2.9% growth per year and projects 9.0% annualized growth x5 years in its analyst note.

I am forecasting below both long-term estimates.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 4% based on the following:

• CNN Business reports ACE of 0.5% YOY and 2.5% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 22 analysts), along with 5-year annualized growth of 4.0%.
• MarketWatch projects 2.8% and 4.8% per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25, respectively (28).
• Nasdaq.com projects 9.5% YOY and 8.2% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25 (6, 9, and 5 analysts for ’23, ’24 and ’25).
• YF projects YOY 1.8% contraction and 9.0% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (27), along with 5.4% annualized growth for the next five years.
• Zacks projects YOY 0.9% contraction and 7.8% growth for ’23 and ’24, respectively (9), along with 11.0% annualized growth for the next five years.
• Value Line projects 8.1% growth per year from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 2.6% YOY contraction and 3.4% growth per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively, along with a 3-year annualized CAGR of 6.0%.
• M* projects long-term growth of 10.1%.

I am forecasting at the bottom of the long-term-estimate range (mean of six: 7.6%).

My Forecast High P/E is 21. Over the last 10 years, high P/E has ranged from 21.2 in ’22 to 32.2 in ’20 with a 5-year average of 24.4. I am forecasting just below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 11. Over the last 10 years, low P/E has ranged from 11.6 in ’22 to 20.4 in ’17 with a 5-year average of 15.5. I am forecasting below the range.

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $49.50. This is 21.8% less than the previous close and 3.5% less than the ’22 low.

Since a dividend was issued in 2017, Payout Ratio has ranged from 17.8% in ’17 to 34.2% in ’20 with a last-5-year average of 25.8%. I am forecasting below the range at 17.0%.

These inputs land CTSH in the BUY zone with an U/D ratio of 3.7. Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 13.4%.

PAR (using Forecast Average–not High–P/E) is 7.7%, which is less than I seek in a large-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 356 studies done in the past 90 days (my study along with 94 other outliers excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, Forecast Low P/E, and Payout Ratio are 6.1%, 8.0%, 22.5, 16.0, and 17.9%. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 17.0, which is lower than MS (19.3) and higher than mine (16.0). MOS backing the current study seems robust.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $6.49/share and $3.69/share compared to my $5.46 and $4.50. The $4.50 may be higher due to recent quarterly growth. The $5.46 is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate. The MS LSPF of $51.30 is 3.6% greater than mine, is 13.1% less than the $3.69 * 16.0 = $59.04 default value, and implies a Forecast Low P/E of 13.9 (vs. 16.9).

I would look to BUY CTSH under $65/share.

FLT Stock Study (5-4-23)

I recently did a stock study on Fleetcor Technologies Inc. (FLT) with a closing price of $207.34.

Value Line writes:

     > FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. is a leading independent provider of fuel
     > cards, and payment products and services throughout North America,
     > Latin America, and Europe. Its corporate charge cards cater to
     > commercial fleets, major oil companies, petroleum marketers, and
     > government entities. The company owns and operates proprietary
     > closed-loop networks electronically connected to merchants, through
     > which it captures and reports customized information.

This medium-size company has grown sales and earnings at annualized rates of 13.6% and 15.5%, respectively, over the last 10 years. Lines are mostly up, straight, and parallel except for sales decline in ’20 and EPS declines in ’15 and ’20. PTPM has led peer and industry averages, ranging from 31.5% (’15) to 45.1% (’13) with a last-5-year average of 39.8%.

ROE has tracked evenly with the industry and ahead of peer averages over the last decade, ranging from 12.0% (’15) to 41.1% (upside outlier, perhaps, in ’22) with a last-5-year average of 26.4%. Debt-to-Capital has trended uncomfortably higher from 54.4% to 73.5% over this time span with a last-5-year average of 62.8%. This is greater than industry averages and roughly even with peers.

Interest Coverage is 8.8 or 13.8 according to M* and Value Line, respectively. The latter reports Quick Ratio as 0.58. Value Line gives a B++ grade for Financial Strength while CFRA writes, “balance sheet is in a good place at 2.8x net debt-to-EBITDA with healthy liquidity of ~$2B.”

I forecast long-term annualized sales growth of 7% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 11.8% YOY and 11.1% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 17 analysts).
• YF projects YOY 11.3% and 9.4% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (17 analysts).
• Zacks projects YOY 11.2% and 8.7% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (7).
• Value Line projects 7.0% growth per year from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 11.2% YOY and 9.6% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively.
• M* provides a 2-year ACE of 9.9%.

I am forecasting at the bottom of the range.

I forecast long-term annualized EPS growth of 9% based on the following:

• CNN Business projects 5.9% YOY and 10.7% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively (based on 17 analysts), along with 13.1% annualized for the next five years.
• MarketWatch projects 11.1% and 13.0% per year for ’22-’24 and ’22-’25, respectively (20 analysts).
• Nasdaq.com projects 17.4% YOY and 17.6% per year for ’24 and ’23-’25 (7, 7, and 3 analysts for ’23, ’24, and ’25).
• Seeking Alpha projects 4-year annualized growth of 12.1%.
• YF projects YOY 5.5% and 15.5% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (16), along with 5-year annualized growth of 13.7%.
• Zacks projects YOY 5.5% and 16.1% for ’23 and ’24, respectively (8), along with 5-year annualized growth of 12.1%.
• Value Line projects 9.8% per year from ’22-’27.
• CFRA projects 6.3% YOY and 10.5% per year for ’23 and ’22-’24, respectively, along with a 3-year CAGR of 16.0%.

I am forecasting below the long-term-estimate range (mean of five: 12.2%).

My Forecast High P/E is 21. Over the last decade, high P/E has ranged from 21.4 (’22) to 43.0 (’15) with a last-5-year average of 29.9. I am forecasting below the range.

My Forecast Low P/E is 13. Over the last decade, low P/E has ranged from 13.0 (’22) to 34.9 (’15) with a last-5-year average of 18.3. I am forecasting at the bottom of the range.

My Low Stock Price Forecast (LSPF) is the default value of $161.50. This is 22.1% below the last closing price and 20 cents less than 2022 and 52-week lows.

These inputs land FLT in the BUY zone with an U/D ratio of 4.2. The Total Annualized Return (TAR) is 14.1%.

PAR (using Forecast Average—not High—P/E) is 9.4%, which is less than I seek in a medium-size company. If a healthy margin of safety (MOS) anchors this study, then I can proceed based on TAR instead.

To assess MOS, I compare my inputs with those of Member Sentiment (MS). Based on 373 studies done in the past 90 days (91 outliers and my study excluded), averages (lower of mean/median) for projected sales growth, projected EPS growth, Forecast High P/E, and Forecast Low P/E are 10.0%, 11.9%, 25.0, and 17.3. I am lower across the board. Value Line projects a future average annual P/E of 14.5, which is lower than MS (21.2) and lower than mine (17.0). The latter leaves me perplexed since I can count on one hand the number of times Value Line has projected a much lower average annual P/E. This somewhat neutralizes my perception of MOS in the current study.

With regard to other data, MS high and low EPS are $21.75/share and $11.41/share compared to my $19.11 and $12.42. My high EPS is lower due to a lower forecast growth rate and my low EPS is probably higher due to the most recent quarterly growth. The MS LSPF of $167.00 implies a Forecast Low P/E of 14.6 (vs. 17.3), is 3.4% higher than mine, and is 15.4% less than the default value of $11.41 * 17.3 = $197.39.

FLT is a BUY under $221/share, but due to the concern over future P/E range I am lowering that to $210.