Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued

·4 min read

- By GF Value

The stock of Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF, 30-year Financials) is believed to be modestly undervalued, 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 $47.09 per share and the market cap of $13.6 billion, Fidelity National Financial stock shows every sign of being modestly undervalued. GF Value for Fidelity National Financial is shown in the chart below.


Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued
Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued

Because Fidelity National Financial is relatively undervalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be higher than its business growth, which averaged 11% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.83% 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. Fidelity National Financial has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.90, which is worse than 68% of the companies in Insurance industry. The overall financial strength of Fidelity National Financial is 5 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Fidelity National Financial is fair. This is the debt and cash of Fidelity National Financial over the past years:

Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued
Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued

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. Fidelity National Financial has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $12.3 billion and earnings of $7.21 a share. Its operating margin of 0.00% in the bottom 10% of the companies in Insurance industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Fidelity National Financial's profitability as fair. This is the revenue and net income of Fidelity National Financial over the past years:

Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued
Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued

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 Fidelity National Financial is 11%, which ranks better than 76% of the companies in Insurance industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 17.5%, which ranks better than 78% of the companies in Insurance industry.

One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). 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. If the return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, Fidelity National Financial's ROIC is 5.73 while its WACC came in at 9.56. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Fidelity National Financial is shown below:

Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued
Fidelity National Financial Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Modestly Undervalued

To conclude, the stock of Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be modestly undervalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks better than 78% of the companies in Insurance industry. To learn more about Fidelity National Financial stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.