The stock of WEX (NYSE:WEX, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be 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 $193.9 per share and the market cap of $8.7 billion, WEX stock gives every indication of being fairly valued. GF Value for WEX is shown in the chart below.
Because WEX is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which averaged 7.1% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.08% annually over the next three to 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. WEX has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.20, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Software industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks WEX’s financial strength as 3 out of 10, suggesting poor balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of WEX 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. WEX has been profitable 9 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $1.5 billion and loss of $5.19 a share. Its operating margin is 9.51%, which ranks better than 68% of the companies in Software industry. Overall, the profitability of WEX is ranked 7 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of WEX 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 WEX is 7.1%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is -37.9%, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Software industry.
Another way to evaluate a company’s profitability is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted 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 ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, WEX’s ROIC was 2.38, while its WACC came in at 11.52. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of WEX is shown below:
In short, the stock of WEX (NYSE:WEX, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being fairly valued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Software industry. To learn more about WEX stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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