The stock of Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI, 30-year Financials) shows every sign 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 $145.64 per share and the market cap of $5.2 billion, Acuity Brands stock appears to be modestly overvalued. GF Value for Acuity Brands is shown in the chart below.
Because Acuity Brands is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 1.2% over the past five years.
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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. Acuity Brands has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.88, which which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Industrial Products industry. The overall financial strength of Acuity Brands is 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Acuity Brands is fair. This is the debt and cash of Acuity Brands 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. Acuity Brands has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $3.3 billion and earnings of $6.4 a share. Its operating margin is 11.26%, which ranks better than 73% of the companies in Industrial Products industry. Overall, the profitability of Acuity Brands is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Acuity Brands 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 stock performance of a company. A faster growing company creates more value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth of Acuity Brands is 1.2%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Industrial Products industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -6.3%, which ranks worse than 71% of the companies in Industrial Products industry.
One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average 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 return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, Acuity Brands's ROIC is 11.39 while its WACC came in at 10.75. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Acuity Brands is shown below:
In conclusion, Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI, 30-year Financials) stock appears to be modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks worse than 71% of the companies in Industrial Products industry. To learn more about Acuity Brands stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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