The stock of Educational Development (NAS:EDUC, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being modestly overvalued, 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 $17.48 per share and the market cap of $146 million, Educational Development stock shows every sign of being modestly overvalued. GF Value for Educational Development is shown in the chart below.
Because Educational Development is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 1.3% over the past five years.
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Since investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, investors must carefully review a company's financial strength before deciding whether to buy shares. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage can give a good initial perspective on the company's financial strength. Educational Development has a cash-to-debt ratio of 2.83, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Media - Diversified. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Educational Development's financial strength as 7 out of 10, suggesting fair balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of Educational Development over the past years:
Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Educational Development has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $184.5 million and earnings of $1.31 a share. Its operating margin is 7.51%, which ranks better than 68% of the companies in the industry of Media - Diversified. Overall, the profitability of Educational Development is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Educational Development over the past years:
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 Educational Development is 1.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Media - Diversified. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 13.7%, which ranks better than 67% of the companies in the industry of Media - Diversified.
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, Educational Development's return on invested capital is 24.69, and its cost of capital is 7.55. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Educational Development is shown below:
In summary, the stock of Educational Development (NAS:EDUC, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 67% of the companies in the industry of Media - Diversified. To learn more about Educational Development stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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