Yahoo Finance Sonoco Products Co Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Overvalued
- By GF Value
The stock of Sonoco Products Co (NYSE:SON, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being modestly overvalued, 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 $68.3 per share and the market cap of $6.9 billion, Sonoco Products Co stock shows every sign of being modestly overvalued. GF Value for Sonoco Products Co is shown in the chart below.
Because Sonoco Products Co is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 1.2% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 0.43% annually over the next three to five years.
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Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. Sonoco Products Co has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.30, which is in the middle range of the companies in Packaging & Containers industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Sonoco Products Co at 5 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Sonoco Products Co is fair. This is the debt and cash of Sonoco Products Co over the past years:
Investing in profitable companies carries less risk, especially in companies that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. Typically, a company with high profit margins offers better performance potential than a company with low profit margins. Sonoco Products Co has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $5.3 billion and earnings of $1.96 a share. Its operating margin of 9.61% better than 67% of the companies in Packaging & Containers industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Sonoco Products Co's profitability as fair. This is the revenue and net income of Sonoco Products Co over the past years:
Growth is probably one of the most important factors 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. If a company's business is growing, the company usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Likewise, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. Sonoco Products Co's 3-year average revenue growth rate is in the middle range of the companies in Packaging & Containers industry. Sonoco Products Co's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -0.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Packaging & Containers industry.
Another method of determining the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital. 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. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, Sonoco Products Co's return on invested capital is 10.14, and its cost of capital is 5.73.
In summary, the stock of Sonoco Products Co (NYSE:SON, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Packaging & Containers industry. To learn more about Sonoco Products Co stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
