The stock of Imperial Brands PLC (OTCPK:IMBBY, 30-year Financials) appears to be significantly 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 $22.72 per share and the market cap of $21.5 billion, Imperial Brands PLC stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Imperial Brands PLC is shown in the chart below.
Because Imperial Brands PLC is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 2.9% over the past five years.
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It is always important to check the financial strength of a company before buying its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength have a higher risk of permanent loss. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great way to understand the financial strength of a company. Imperial Brands PLC has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.07, which is worse than 85% of the companies in Tobacco Products industry. The overall financial strength of Imperial Brands PLC is 4 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Imperial Brands PLC is poor. This is the debt and cash of Imperial Brands PLC 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. Imperial Brands PLC has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $44.8 billion and earnings of $3.977 a share. Its operating margin of 10.00% in the middle range of the companies in Tobacco Products industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Imperial Brands PLC’s profitability as fair. This is the revenue and net income of Imperial Brands PLC 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. Imperial Brands PLC’s 3-year average revenue growth rate is in the middle range of the companies in Tobacco Products industry. Imperial Brands PLC’s 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -2.1%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Tobacco Products industry.
Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted 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. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, Imperial Brands PLC’s return on invested capital is 11.14, and its cost of capital is 5.25. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Imperial Brands PLC is shown below:
In closing, Imperial Brands PLC (OTCPK:IMBBY, 30-year Financials) stock is believed to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Tobacco Products industry. To learn more about Imperial Brands PLC stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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