Big Lots Stock Appears To Be Significantly Overvalued

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Mar 30, 2021
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The stock of Big Lots (NYSE:BIG, 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 $67.45 per share and the market cap of $2.5 billion, Big Lots stock appears to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Big Lots is shown in the chart below.

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Because Big Lots is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 9.3% 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. Big Lots has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.32, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Retail - Defensive. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Big Lots's financial strength as 5 out of 10, suggesting fair balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of Big Lots over the past years:

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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. Big Lots has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $6.2 billion and earnings of $15.9 a share. Its operating margin is 6.35%, which ranks better than 81% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Defensive. Overall, the profitability of Big Lots is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Big Lots over the past years:

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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. Big Lots's 3-year average revenue growth rate is better than 74% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Defensive. Big Lots's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 38%, which ranks better than 90% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Defensive.

Another way to evaluate a company's profitability is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted cost of capital (WACC). 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. If the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Big Lots's ROIC was 11.11, while its WACC came in at 9.99. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Big Lots is shown below:

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To conclude, Big Lots (NYSE:BIG, 30-year Financials) stock gives every indication of being significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 90% of the companies in the industry of Retail - Defensive. To learn more about Big Lots stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

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