The stock of MKS Instruments (NAS:MKSI, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being 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 $188.26 per share and the market cap of $10.4 billion, MKS Instruments stock shows every sign of being significantly overvalued. GF Value for MKS Instruments is shown in the chart below.
Because MKS Instruments is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 6.6% 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. MKS Instruments has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.81, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Hardware industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks MKS Instruments's financial strength as 7 out of 10, suggesting fair balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of MKS Instruments 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. MKS Instruments has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $2.3 billion and earnings of $6.32 a share. Its operating margin is 20.09%, which ranks better than 92% of the companies in Hardware industry. Overall, the profitability of MKS Instruments is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of MKS Instruments 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. MKS Instruments's 3-year average revenue growth rate is better than 67% of the companies in Hardware industry. MKS Instruments's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -0.7%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Hardware 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, MKS Instruments's return on invested capital is 13.47, and its cost of capital is 11.11. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of MKS Instruments is shown below:
In short, MKS Instruments (NAS:MKSI, 30-year Financials) stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Hardware industry. To learn more about MKS Instruments stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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