The stock of National Instruments (NAS:NATI, 30-year Financials) is believed 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 $42.29 per share and the market cap of $5.6 billion, National Instruments stock gives every indication of being fairly valued. GF Value for National Instruments is shown in the chart below.
Because National Instruments is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which is estimated to grow 1.05% annually over the next three to five years.
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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. National Instruments has a cash-to-debt ratio of 2.10, which which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. The overall financial strength of National Instruments is 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of National Instruments is fair. This is the debt and cash of National Instruments 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. National Instruments has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $1.3 billion and earnings of $0.11 a share. Its operating margin is 2.84%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. Overall, the profitability of National Instruments is ranked 7 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of National Instruments 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 Instruments is -0.2%, which ranks worse than 66% of the companies in Software industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 9.5%, which ranks in the middle range 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, National Instruments’s ROIC was 1.43, while its WACC came in at 7.76. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of National Instruments is shown below:
In conclusion, the stock of National Instruments (NAS:NATI, 30-year Financials) is believed to be fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. To learn more about National Instruments stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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