The stock of Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A, 30-year Financials) is believed 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 $147.81 per share and the market cap of $44.9 billion, Agilent Technologies stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Agilent Technologies is shown in the chart below.
Because Agilent Technologies is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 7.6% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.10% annually over the next three to five years.
Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.
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. Agilent Technologies has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.47, which which ranks worse than 76% of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. The overall financial strength of Agilent Technologies is 6 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Agilent Technologies is fair. This is the debt and cash of Agilent Technologies 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. Agilent Technologies has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $5.8 billion and earnings of $2.98 a share. Its operating margin of 19.68% better than 76% of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Agilent Technologies’s profitability as strong. This is the revenue and net income of Agilent Technologies 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 Agilent Technologies is 7.6%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 5.5%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research.
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, Agilent Technologies’s return on invested capital is 12.56, and its cost of capital is 7.00. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Agilent Technologies is shown below:
In conclusion, the stock of Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A, 30-year Financials) appears 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 the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. To learn more about Agilent Technologies 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.
