The stock of Credit Acceptance (NAS:CACC, 30-year Financials) appears to be significantly undervalued, 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 $417.89 per share and the market cap of $7 billion, Credit Acceptance stock gives every indication of being significantly undervalued. GF Value for Credit Acceptance is shown in the chart below.
Because Credit Acceptance is significantly undervalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much higher than its business growth, which averaged 17.9% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 7.47% annually over the next three to five years.
Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.
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. Credit Acceptance has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.01, which is in the bottom 10% of the companies in Credit Services industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Credit Acceptance at 3 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Credit Acceptance is poor. This is the debt and cash of Credit Acceptance over the past years:
It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. Credit Acceptance has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $1.7 billion and earnings of $40.21 a share. Its operating margin is 53.52%, which ranks better than 81% of the companies in Credit Services industry. Overall, the profitability of Credit Acceptance is ranked 9 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Credit Acceptance over the past years:
One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Credit Acceptance is 17.9%, which ranks better than 75% of the companies in Credit Services industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 1.8%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Credit Services industry.
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, Credit Acceptance's return on invested capital is 9.77, and its cost of capital is 5.67. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Credit Acceptance is shown below:
In conclusion, The stock of Credit Acceptance (NAS:CACC, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being significantly undervalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Credit Services industry. To learn more about Credit Acceptance stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.
