Korn/Ferry International Valuation – August 2018 $KFY
Company Profile (excerpt from Reuters): Korn/Ferry International (Korn Ferry), incorporated on October 13, 1999, is a people and organizational advisory company. The Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the business of providing talent management solutions, including executive search on a retained basis, recruitment for non-executive professionals, recruitment process outsourcing, and leadership and talent consulting services. Its segments include Executive Search, Hay Group and Futurestep. Its executive search business is managed on a geographic basis throughout various regions, such as North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific and Latin America. Hay Group and Futurestep are managed on a global basis with operations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company has a network of approximately 150 offices in over 50 countries across the world that enables it to meet the needs of its clients in all industries. Its clients include public and private companies, middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and nonprofit organizations.
Downloadable PDF version of this valuation:
ModernGraham Valuation of KFY – August 2018
Stage 1: Is this company suitable for the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor?
What kind of Intelligent Investor are you?
| Defensive Investor; must pass 6 out of the following 7 tests. | ||||
| 1. Adequate Size of the Enterprise | Market Cap > $2Bil | $3,767,418,511 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 2 | 1.82 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Dividend Payments for 10 years prior | Fail | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | Increase of 33% in EPS in past 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end | 175.20% | Pass | |
| 6. Moderate PEmg Ratio | PEmg < 20 | 30.94 | Fail | |
| 7. Moderate Price to Assets | PB Ratio < 2.5 OR PB*PEmg < 50 | 3.10 | Fail | |
| Enterprising Investor; must pass 4 out of the following 5 tests, or be suitable for the Defensive Investor. | ||||
| 1. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 1.5 | 1.82 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Debt to NCA < 1.1 | 0.46 | Pass | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 5 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Currently Pays Dividend | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | EPSmg greater than 5 years ago | Pass | ||
Stage 2: Determination of Intrinsic Value
| EPSmg | $2.17 |
| MG Growth Estimate | 8.97% |
| MG Value | $57.42 |
| Opinion | Overvalued |
| MG Grade | C |
| MG Value based on 3% Growth | $31.49 |
| MG Value based on 0% Growth | $18.46 |
| Market Implied Growth Rate | 11.22% |
| Current Price | $67.20 |
| % of Intrinsic Value | 117.04% |
Korn/Ferry International is suitable for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the low current ratio, poor dividend history, and the high PEmg and PB ratios. The Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.
As for a valuation, the company appears to be Overvalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $1.36 in 2015 to an estimated $2.17 for 2019. This level of demonstrated earnings growth does not support the market’s implied estimate of 11.22% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on the Benjamin Graham value investing formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value below the price.
At the time of valuation, further research into Korn/Ferry International revealed the company was trading above its Graham Number of $39.18. The company pays a dividend of $0.4 per share, for a yield of 0.6% Its PEmg (price over earnings per share – ModernGraham) was 30.94, which was below the industry average of 33.97, which by some methods of valuation makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in its industry. Finally, the company was trading above its Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) of $-0.96.
Korn/Ferry International receives an average overall rating in the ModernGraham grading system, scoring a C.
Stage 3: Information for Further Research
| Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) | -$0.96 |
| Graham Number | $39.18 |
| PEmg | 30.94 |
| Current Ratio | 1.82 |
| PB Ratio | 3.10 |
| Current Dividend | $0.40 |
| Dividend Yield | 0.60% |
| Number of Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 0 |
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| ModernGraham tagged articles | Morningstar |
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Most Recent Balance Sheet Figures
| Balance Sheet Information | 4/1/2018 |
| Total Current Assets | $1,014,259,000 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $558,460,000 |
| Long-Term Debt | $211,311,000 |
| Total Assets | $2,287,914,000 |
| Intangible Assets | $787,438,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $1,068,299,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) | 56,308,000 |
Earnings Per Share History
| EPS History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $3.17 |
| Apr2018 | $2.35 |
| Apr2017 | $1.47 |
| Apr2016 | $0.58 |
| Apr2015 | $1.76 |
| Apr2014 | $1.48 |
| Apr2013 | $0.70 |
| Apr2012 | $1.15 |
| Apr2011 | $1.27 |
| Apr2010 | $0.12 |
| Apr2009 | -$0.23 |
| Apr2008 | $1.46 |
| Apr2007 | $1.24 |
| Apr2006 | $1.32 |
| Apr2005 | $0.90 |
| Apr2004 | $0.13 |
| Apr2003 | -$0.63 |
| Apr2002 | -$2.62 |
| Apr2001 | $0.81 |
| Apr2000 | $0.82 |
| Apr1999 | -$2.37 |
Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham History
| EPSmg History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $2.17 |
| Apr2018 | $1.62 |
| Apr2017 | $1.24 |
| Apr2016 | $1.13 |
| Apr2015 | $1.36 |
| Apr2014 | $1.09 |
| Apr2013 | $0.79 |
| Apr2012 | $0.81 |
| Apr2011 | $0.69 |
| Apr2010 | $0.52 |
| Apr2009 | $0.80 |
| Apr2008 | $1.21 |
| Apr2007 | $0.92 |
| Apr2006 | $0.45 |
| Apr2005 | -$0.09 |
| Apr2004 | -$0.49 |
| Apr2003 | -$0.80 |
Recommended Reading:
Other ModernGraham posts about the company
| 14 Best Stocks for Value Investors This Week – 2/11/17 | |
| Korn-Ferry International Valuation – Initial Coverage $KFY |
Other ModernGraham posts about related companies
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.  See my current holdings here.  This article is not investment advice; any reader should speak to a registered investment adviser prior to making any investment decisions.  ModernGraham is not affiliated with the company in any manner.  Please be sure to review our detailed disclaimer.
