Yahoo Finance American Tower Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Overvalued
- By GF Value
The stock of American Tower (NYSE:AMT, 30-year Financials) gives every indication 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 $267.01 per share and the market cap of $121.4 billion, American Tower stock gives every indication of being modestly overvalued. GF Value for American Tower is shown in the chart below.
Because American Tower is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 5.3% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 6.95% annually over the next three to five years.
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It is always important to check the financial strength of a company before buying its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength have a higher risk of permanent loss. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great way to understand the financial strength of a company. American Tower has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.05, which is in the middle range of the companies in REITs industry. The overall financial strength of American Tower is 3 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of American Tower is poor. This is the debt and cash of American Tower over the past years:
It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. American Tower has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $8.2 billion and earnings of $4.31 a share. Its operating margin is 39.23%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in REITs industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of American Tower at 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of American Tower 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 stock performance of a company. A faster growing company creates more value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth of American Tower is 5.3%, which ranks better than 77% of the companies in REITs industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 5.3%, which ranks better than 71% of the companies in REITs 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, American Tower's return on invested capital is 6.86, and its cost of capital is 2.81. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of American Tower is shown below:
In short, American Tower (NYSE:AMT, 30-year Financials) stock shows every sign of being modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 71% of the companies in REITs industry. To learn more about American Tower stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
