Altera Corporation Analysis – July 2015 Update $ALTR

Benjamin Graham taught that Intelligent Investors must do a thorough fundamental analysis of investment opportunities to determine their intrinsic value and inherent risk.  This is best done by utilizing a systematic approach to analysis that will provide investors with a sense of how a specific company compares to another company or by reviewing the 5 Most Undervalued Companies for the Defensive Investor – June 2015.  By using the ModernGraham method one can review a company’s historical accomplishments and determine an intrinsic value that can be compared across industries.  What follows is a stock analysis showing a specific look at how Altera Corporation (ALTR) fares in the ModernGraham valuation model.

Company Profile (obtained from Google Finance): Altera Corporation is a semiconductor company that designs and sells a range of products, including programmable logic devices (PLDs), highly integrated power devices, pre-defined design building blocks and development software. PLDs consist of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are semiconductor integrated circuits, or chips, that the Company’s customers program to perform desired logic and processing functions in their electronic systems. Highly integrated power devices, known as power system-on-chip devices (PowerSoCs), which simplify and drive the miniaturization of power circuitry found in the electronic systems of the Company’s PLD customers. Pre-defined design building blocks, known as intellectual property (IP) cores, which can be licensed by customers to add standard functions to their PLD designs. Development software is used by customers to develop, compile and verify their designs, and then program their designs into the Company’s PLDs.

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Defensive Investor – must pass at least 6 of the following 7 tests: Score = 4/7

1. Adequate Size of Enterprise – market capitalization of at least $2 billion - PASS
2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition – current ratio greater than 2 - PASS
3. Earnings Stability – positive earnings per share for at least 10 straight years - PASS
4. Dividend Record – has paid a dividend for at least 10 straight years - FAIL
5. Earnings Growth – earnings per share has increased by at least 1/3 over the last 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end of period - PASS
6. Moderate PEmg ratio – PEmg is less than 20 - FAIL
7. Moderate Price to Assets – PB ratio is less than 2.5 or PB x PEmg is less than 50 - FAIL

Enterprising Investor – must pass at least 4 of the following 5 tests or be suitable for a defensive investor: Score = 4/5

1. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition, Part 1 – current ratio greater than 1.5 - PASS
2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition, Part 2 – Debt to Net Current Assets ratio less than 1.1 - PASS
3. Earnings Stability – positive earnings per share for at least 5 years - PASS
4. Dividend Record – currently pays a dividend - PASS
5. Earnings growth – EPSmg greater than 5 years ago - FAIL

Valuation Summary

Key Data:

Balance Sheet – March 2015

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham

Dividend History

Conclusion:

Altera Corporation qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor.  The Defensive Investor is concerned with the short dividend history as well as the high PEmg and PB ratios.  The Enterprising Investor is only concerned by the lack of earnings growth over the last five years.  As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with the evaluation.  As for a valuation, the company appears to be overvalued after seeing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) drop from $1.83 in 2011 to only an estimated $1.43 for 2015.  This level of demonstrated earnings growth does not support the market’s implied estimate of 13.39% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years.  As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value falling below the price.

The next part of the analysis is up to individual investors, and requires discussion of the company’s prospects.  What do you think?  What value would you put on Altera Corporation (ALTR)?  Where do you see the company going in the future?  Is there a company you like better?  Leave a comment on our Facebook page or mention @ModernGraham on Twitter to discuss.

Disclaimer:  The author did not hold a position in any company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing that position within the next 72 hours.  Logo taken from Wikipedia for the sole purpose of identifying the company; this article is not affiliated with the company in any manner.

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