RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued

GuruFocus.com
·4 min read

- By GF Value

The stock of RGC Resources (NAS:RGCO, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being fairly valued, 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 $22.41 per share and the market cap of $184.1 million, RGC Resources stock shows every sign of being fairly valued. GF Value for RGC Resources is shown in the chart below.


RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued
RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued

Because RGC Resources is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth.

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Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid permanent capital loss, an investor must do their research and review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to to understand its financial strength. RGC Resources has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.01, which which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. The overall financial strength of RGC Resources is 3 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of RGC Resources is poor. This is the debt and cash of RGC Resources over the past years:

RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued
RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued

It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. RGC Resources has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $62.8 million and earnings of $1.39 a share. Its operating margin is 20.73%, which ranks better than 69% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. Overall, the profitability of RGC Resources is ranked 6 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of RGC Resources over the past years:

RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued
RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued

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 performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of RGC Resources is -3.4%, which ranks worse than 81% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 8.2%, which ranks better than 66% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated.

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, RGC Resources's return on invested capital is 3.69, and its cost of capital is 0.63. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of RGC Resources is shown below:

RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued
RGC Resources Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Fairly Valued

In conclusion, The stock of RGC Resources (NAS:RGCO, 30-year Financials) is believed to be fairly valued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks better than 66% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. To learn more about RGC Resources stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.