Is The Container Store Group, Inc. (NYSE:TCS) Expensive For A Reason? A Look At Its Intrinsic Value
Key Insights
The projected fair value for Container Store Group is US$3.19 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity
Current share price of US$4.21 suggests Container Store Group is potentially 32% overvalued
Analyst price target for TCS is US$5.67, which is 78% above our fair value estimate
Does the March share price for The Container Store Group, Inc. (NYSE:TCS) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.
We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.
Check out our latest analysis for Container Store Group
The Model
We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.
A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:
10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate
2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | |
Levered FCF ($, Millions) | US$71.0m | US$19.0m | US$16.6m | US$15.2m | US$14.4m | US$14.0m | US$13.8m | US$13.7m | US$13.7m | US$13.9m |
Growth Rate Estimate Source | Analyst x1 | Analyst x1 | Est @ -12.78% | Est @ -8.33% | Est @ -5.21% | Est @ -3.02% | Est @ -1.50% | Est @ -0.43% | Est @ 0.32% | Est @ 0.85% |
Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 14% | US$62.3 | US$14.6 | US$11.2 | US$9.0 | US$7.5 | US$6.4 | US$5.5 | US$4.8 | US$4.2 | US$3.8 |
("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$129m
After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 14%.
Terminal Value (TV)= FCF2032 × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$14m× (1 + 2.1%) ÷ (14%– 2.1%) = US$119m
Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$119m÷ ( 1 + 14%)10= US$32m
The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$162m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$4.2, the company appears reasonably expensive at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.
Important Assumptions
Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Container Store Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 14%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.
SWOT Analysis for Container Store Group
Strength
Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.
Weakness
Earnings declined over the past year.
Opportunity
Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.
Threat
Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.
Looking Ahead:
Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For Container Store Group, we've put together three important elements you should assess:
Risks: We feel that you should assess the 3 warning signs for Container Store Group (1 is a bit concerning!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company.
Future Earnings: How does TCS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart.
Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!
PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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