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Auto Trader Group (Auto Trader Group) Earnings Power Value (EPV) : $0.77 (As of Mar23)


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What is Auto Trader Group Earnings Power Value (EPV)?

As of Mar23, Auto Trader Group's earnings power value is $0.77. *

* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.

Margin of Safety is -194.51

The basic concept of EPV is that one should value a stock based on the current free cash flow of a company and not on future projections which may, or may not, come true. It is arguably a better way to analyze stocks than Discounted Cash Flow analysis that relies on highly speculative growth assumptions many years into the future. Assumption: Current profitability is sustainable.


Auto Trader Group Earnings Power Value (EPV) Historical Data

The historical data trend for Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV) can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

* Premium members only.

Auto Trader Group Earnings Power Value (EPV) Chart

Auto Trader Group Annual Data
Trend Mar14 Mar15 Mar16 Mar17 Mar18 Mar19 Mar20 Mar21 Mar22 Mar23
Earnings Power Value (EPV)
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.52 0.60 0.73 0.78 0.71

Auto Trader Group Semi-Annual Data
Mar14 Sep14 Mar15 Sep15 Mar16 Sep16 Mar17 Sep17 Mar18 Sep18 Mar19 Sep19 Mar20 Sep20 Mar21 Sep21 Mar22 Sep22 Mar23 Sep23
Earnings Power Value (EPV) Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only - 0.78 - 0.71 -

Competitive Comparison of Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV)

For the Internet Content & Information subindustry, Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV), along with its competitors' market caps and Earnings Power Value (EPV) data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV) Distribution in the Interactive Media Industry

For the Interactive Media industry and Communication Services sector, Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV) distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV) falls into.



Auto Trader Group Earnings Power Value (EPV) Calculation

Earnings Power Value also known as just Earnings Power is a valuation technique popularised by Bruce Greenwald, an authority on value investing at Columbia University. It is arguably a better way to analyze stocks than Discounted Cash Flow analysis that relies on highly speculative growth assumptions many years into the future.

The basic concept of EPV is that one should value a stock based on the current free cash flow of a company and not on future projections which may, or may not, come true. This valuation tool excludes the potential growth that a company may have so that needs to be looked at separately. Since future growth is excluded from the analysis, only the maintenance capital expenditures are subtracted from after-tax EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) and growth capex is ignored.

Auto Trader Group's "Earning Power" Calculation:

Average of Last 5 Years Last Year
Revenue 493.2
DDA 11.0
Operating Margin % 64.52
SGA * 25% 12.5
Tax Rate % 18.93
Maintenance Capex 2.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents 20.1
Short-Term Debt 8.0
Long-Term Debt 75.4
Shares Outstanding (Diluted) 3,776.6

1. Start with "Earnings" not including accounting adjustments (one-time charges not excluded unless policy has changed). "Earnings" are "Operating Income.

2. Look at average margins over a business/Industry cycle: Average Operating Margin = 64.52%

To normalize margins and eliminate the effects on profitability of valuing the firm at different points in the business cycle, it is usually best to take a long-term average of operating margins. Ideally this would be as long as 10 years and include at least one economic downturn. However, since most of companies do not have as long as 10-year history, here GuruFocus uses the latest 5 years data to do the calculation. To smooth out unusual years but reflect recent developments, we take an average of the 5 year margin.

3. Multiply average margins by sustainable revenues and then adjust for maintenance SGA. This yields "normalized" EBIT:

To be conservative, GuruFocus uses an average of the 5 year revenues as the sustainable revenue.
EPV analysis recognises that part of SG&A expenditure is made to maintain and replace the existing assets, while part is made to grow sales. Since EPV is only interested in what it costs a going concern to maintain its existing asset base, it adds back a percentage of SG&A (between 15% and 50% - this is a matter of judgment and industry knowledge) to make up for the fact that some of this expenditure went to fund growth and shouldn't be accounted for. To start off, we assume 25% for the sake of prudence.
Sustainable Revenue = $493.2 Mil, Average Operating Margin = 64.52%, Average Adjusted SGA = 12.5,
therefore "Normalized" EBIT = Sustainable Revenue * Average Operating Margin + Average Adjusted SGA = 493.2 * 64.52% +12.5 = $330.710749584 Mil.

4. Multiply by one minus Average Tax Rate (NOPAT):

Same as average operating margin calculation, GuruFocus takes an average of the 5 years tax rates.
Average Tax Rate = 18.93%, and "Normalized" EBIT = $330.710749584 Mil,
therefore After-tax "Normalized" EBIT = "Normalized" EBIT * ( 1 - Average Tax Rate ) = 330.710749584 * ( 1 - 18.93% ) = $268.10059047276 Mil.

5. Add back Excess Depreciation (after tax at 1/2 average tax rate). This yields "normalized" Earnings:

Excess Depreciation = Average DDA * % of Excess Depreciation (after tax at 1/2 average tax rate) = 11.0 * 0.5 * 18.93% = $1.043285724 Mil.
"Normalized" Earnings = After-tax "Normalized" EBIT + Excess Depreciation = 268.10059047276 + 1.043285724 = $269.14387619676 Mil.

6. Adjusted for Maintenance Capital Expenditure:

First, calculate the revenue change regarding to the previous year. If the revenue decreased from the previous year, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive).
Second, if the revenue increased from the previous year, then calculate the percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue.
Third, calculate Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase.
If [Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase] was negative, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive).
If [Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase] was positive, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase.
Fourth, GuruFocus uses an average of the 5 year maintenance capital expenditures as maintenance CAPEX.
Auto Trader Group's Average Maintenance CAPEX = $2.6 Mil *.
* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.

7. Investors require a return of "WACC" for the risk they are taking: WACC = 9%

8. Auto Trader Group's current cash and cash equivalent = $20.1 Mil.
Auto Trader Group's current interest bearing debt = Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation + Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation = 75.4 + 8.0 = $83.374 Mil.
Auto Trader Group's current Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) = 3,776.6 Mil.

Auto Trader Group's Earnings Power Value (EPV) for Mar23 is calculated as:

EPV = ( ( Norm. Earnings-Maint. CAPEX *) / WACC + CashandEquiv - Int. Bearing Debt ) / Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)
= ( ( 269.14387619676 - 2.6)/ 9%+20.1-83.374 )/3,776.6
=0.77

Margin of Safety (EPV)=( Earnings Power Value (EPV)-Current Price )/Earnings Power Value (EPV)
=( 0.76737260633625-2.26 )/0.76737260633625
= -194.51%

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.


Auto Trader Group  (OTCPK:ATDRY) Earnings Power Value (EPV) Explanation

Assumption: Current profitability is sustainable.

Earnings power value (EPV) uses a very basic equation which assumes no growth, although it does rely on an assumption about the cost of capital as well as the fact that current earnings are sustainable. It also involves several adjustments to clean up the underlying Earnings figures.


Be Aware

Though using today's earnings in calculating Earnings Power Value, GuruFocus is normalizing these earnings to the business cycle. This eliminates the effects on profitability of valuing the firm at different points in the business cycle. This means that we are considering the average earnings over 5 years.


Auto Trader Group Earnings Power Value (EPV) Related Terms

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Auto Trader Group (Auto Trader Group) Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
Address
1 Tony Wilson Place, 4th Floor, Manchester, GBR, M15 4FN
Auto Trader Group PLC is a digital automotive marketplace based in the UK and Ireland, which provides trading channels for a range of vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans, bikes, and farm machinery, as well as relevant services such as car insurance, loans, valuations, and vehicle check services. The company generates revenue from three streams. It derives trade revenue from retailers and home traders advertising vehicles and using Auto Trader's products, which represent the majority of the group income. Consumer services revenue stems from private sellers placing advertisements and from the company's partners who provide services to consumers. Display advertising revenue is earned from manufacturers or their advertising agencies, which advertise their brand or services on the marketplace.

Auto Trader Group (Auto Trader Group) Headlines

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