Safaricom (NAI:SCOM) Earnings Power Value (EPV): KES-1.78 (As of Mar26)


NAI:SCOM Safaricom PLC NAI:SCOM
100 GF Score
Price KES33.95
GF Value KES21.81
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 4 Warning Signs
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What is Safaricom Earnings Power Value (EPV)?

Safaricom NAI:SCOM +1.04% 100 Earnings Power Value (EPV) is KES-1.78 as of Mar26. GuruFocus rates NAI:SCOM with a GF Score™ of 100/100 and a GF Value™ of KES21.81 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review.

As of Mar26, Safaricom's earnings power value is KES-1.78. *

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

Margin of Safety is N/A.

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.


Safaricom  (NAI:SCOM) 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.


Safaricom Earnings Power Value (EPV) Related Terms


Safaricom Earnings Power Value (EPV) Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Safaricom'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.

Safaricom Earnings Power Value (EPV) Chart

Safaricom Annual Data
Trend Mar17 Mar18 Mar19 Mar20 Mar21 Mar22 Mar23 Mar24 Mar25 Mar26
Earnings Power Value (EPV)
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 5.53 2.65 -0.46 -1.22 -1.78

Safaricom Semi-Annual Data
Sep16 Mar17 Sep17 Mar18 Sep18 Mar19 Sep19 Mar20 Sep20 Mar21 Sep21 Mar22 Sep22 Mar23 Sep23 Mar24 Sep24 Mar25 Sep25 Mar26
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 -0.46 0.00 -1.22 0.00 -1.78

NAI:SCOM vs TMUS, VZ, T: Earnings Power Value (EPV) Comparison

For the Telecom Services subindustry, Safaricom'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.


Safaricom Earnings Power Value (EPV) vs Telecommunication Services Industry

For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, Safaricom's Earnings Power Value (EPV) distribution charts can be found below:

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


NAI:SCOM
100GF Score
Safaricom PLC NAI:SCOM
Earnings Power Value (EPV) is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Safaricom 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.

Safaricom's "Earning Power" Calculation:

Average of Last 5 Years Last Year
Revenue 352,374
DDA 63,957
Operating Margin % 30.99
SGA * 25% 2,057
Tax Rate % 43.40
Maintenance Capex 70,646
Cash and Cash Equivalents 26,955
Short-Term Debt 34,365
Long-Term Debt 132,400
Shares Outstanding (Diluted) 39,837

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 = 30.99%

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 = KES352,374 Mil, Average Operating Margin = 30.99%, Average Adjusted SGA = 2,057,
therefore "Normalized" EBIT = Sustainable Revenue * Average Operating Margin + Average Adjusted SGA = 352,374 * 30.99% +2,057 = KES111257.365828 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 = 43.40%, and "Normalized" EBIT = KES111257.365828 Mil,
therefore After-tax "Normalized" EBIT = "Normalized" EBIT * ( 1 - Average Tax Rate ) = 111257.365828 * ( 1 - 43.40% ) = KES62971.669058648 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) = 63,957 * 0.5 * 43.40% = KES13878.7558 Mil.
"Normalized" Earnings = After-tax "Normalized" EBIT + Excess Depreciation = 62971.669058648 + 13878.7558 = KES76850.424858648 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.
Safaricom's Average Maintenance CAPEX = KES70,646 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. Safaricom's current cash and cash equivalent = KES26,955 Mil.
Safaricom's current interest bearing debt = Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation + Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation = 132,400 + 34,365 = KES166765.5 Mil.
Safaricom's current Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) = 39,837 Mil.

Safaricom's Earnings Power Value (EPV) for Mar26 is calculated as:

EPV = ( ( Norm. Earnings-Maint. CAPEX *) / WACC + CashandEquiv - Int. Bearing Debt ) / Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)
= ( ( 76850.424858648 - 70,646)/ 9%+26,955-166765.5 )/39,837
=-1.78

Margin of Safety (EPV)=( Earnings Power Value (EPV)-Current Price )/Earnings Power Value (EPV)
=( -1.779136266815-33.95 )/-1.779136266815
= N/A

* 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.

What does a Earnings Power Value (EPV) of KES-1.78 mean?
Safaricom (NAI:SCOM) has a Earnings Power Value (EPV) of KES-1.78 as of Mar26. Bruce Greenwald's earnings power value focuses on current earnings without factoring in future growth. View historical data on Safaricom and its competitors.
Is Safaricom's Earnings Power Value (EPV) too high?
Safaricom's current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is KES-1.78. Overall, Safaricom has a GF Score™ of 100/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Safaricom's Earnings Power Value (EPV) compare to TMUS and VZ?
Safaricom's Earnings Power Value (EPV) of KES-1.78 can be compared against companies in the Telecommunication Services industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Earnings Power Value (EPV) for a Telecommunication Services company?
A good Earnings Power Value (EPV) depends on the Telecommunication Services industry context. However, Earnings Power Value (EPV) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Earnings Power Value (EPV) mean?
A high Earnings Power Value (EPV) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Bruce Greenwald's earnings power value focuses on current earnings without factoring in future growth. View historical data on Safaricom and its competitors. Safaricom's current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is KES-1.78. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Safaricom stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Safaricom (NAI:SCOM) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is KES21.81, compared to a current price of KES33.95 — trading 55.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is KES-1.78. Safaricom's overall GF Score™ is 100/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Earnings Power Value (EPV) calculated?
Earnings Power Value (EPV) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Safaricom (NAI:SCOM), the current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is KES-1.78 as of Mar26. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Safaricom (NAI:SCOM) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Safaricom stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of KES33.95 is trading 55.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of KES21.81. GuruFocus considers Safaricom to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for NAI:SCOM:

  • Earnings Power Value (EPV): KES-1.78
  • GF Value™: KES21.81 vs. price of KES33.95 (55.7% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 100/100 with 4 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the NAI:SCOM stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Safaricom Business Description

Address Safaricom House, Waiyaki Way, P.O. Box 66827, Westlands, Nairobi, KEN, 00800
Safaricom PLC is a Kenya-based telecommunications company. The principal activities of the company are the provision of telecommunication services, providing a comprehensive range of integrated telecommunication services including voice and data both mobile and fixed, SMS, the internet, and m-pesa. The company also offers a wide range of devices such as Mobile handsets, mobile broadband modems, routers, tablets, and notebooks. The majority of its revenue comes from service revenues: Voice, m-pesa, mobile data, messaging, fixed data and other service revenue. The company serves both individual and corporate/enterprise customers.
100GF Score

Get the complete analysis for NAI:SCOM

Earnings Power Value (EPV) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

KES33.95
Price
KES21.81
GF Value