The stock of National Healthcare (AMEX:NHC, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being fairly valued, 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 $72.67 per share and the market cap of $1.1 billion, National Healthcare stock shows every sign of being fairly valued. GF Value for National Healthcare is shown in the chart below.
Because National Healthcare is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which averaged 0.2% over the past five years.
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Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. National Healthcare has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.71, which is in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Healthcare Providers & Services. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of National Healthcare at 6 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of National Healthcare is fair. This is the debt and cash of National Healthcare 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. National Healthcare has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $952.8 million and earnings of $5.85 a share. Its operating margin of 5.12% in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Healthcare Providers & Services. Overall, GuruFocus ranks National Healthcare's profitability as fair. This is the revenue and net income of National Healthcare 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 National Healthcare is 0.2%, which ranks worse than 69% of the companies in the industry of Healthcare Providers & Services. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -8.1%, which ranks worse than 77% of the companies in the industry of Healthcare Providers & Services.
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, National Healthcare's return on invested capital is 3.60, and its cost of capital is 2.46. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of National Healthcare is shown below:
To conclude, National Healthcare (AMEX:NHC, 30-year Financials) stock shows every sign of being fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks worse than 77% of the companies in the industry of Healthcare Providers & Services. To learn more about National Healthcare stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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