Albemarle Corp Valuation – January 2019 $ALB
Company Profile (excerpt from Reuters): Albemarle Corporation, incorporated on November 24, 1993, is a global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals. The Company operates through three segments: Lithium and Advanced Materials, Bromine Specialties and Refining Solutions. Lithium and Advanced Materials segment consists of two product categories: Lithium and Performance Catalyst Solutions. The bromine and bromine-based business includes products used in fire safety solutions and other specialty chemicals applications. The Company serves various end markets, including petroleum refining, consumer electronics, energy storage, construction, automotive, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food safety and custom chemistry services.
Downloadable PDF version of this valuation:
ModernGraham Valuation of ALB – January 2019
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 | $8,212,910,174 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 2 | 1.83 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Dividend Payments for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | Increase of 33% in EPS in past 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end | 31.61% | Fail | |
| 6. Moderate PEmg Ratio | PEmg < 20 | 19.55 | Pass | |
| 7. Moderate Price to Assets | PB Ratio < 2.5 OR PB*PEmg < 50 | 2.27 | Pass | |
| 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 | 1.83 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Debt to NCA < 1.1 | 1.51 | Fail | |
| 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 | $3.96 |
| MG Growth Estimate | 2.64% |
| MG Value | $54.54 |
| Opinion | Overvalued |
| MG Grade | B- |
| MG Value based on 3% Growth | $57.36 |
| MG Value based on 0% Growth | $33.63 |
| Market Implied Growth Rate | 5.52% |
| Current Price | $77.33 |
| % of Intrinsic Value | 141.79% |
Albemarle Corporation is suitable for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the low current ratio, insufficient earnings growth over the last ten years. The Enterprising Investor is only concerned with the level of debt relative to the net current assets. 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 $3.36 in 2014 to an estimated $3.96 for 2018. This level of demonstrated earnings growth does not support the market’s implied estimate of 5.52% 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 Albemarle Corporation revealed the company was trading above its Graham Number of $69.88. The company pays a dividend of $1.28 per share, for a yield of 1.7% Its PEmg (price over earnings per share – ModernGraham) was 19.55, which was below the industry average of 20.47, 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 $-16.08.
Albemarle Corporation performs fairly well in the ModernGraham grading system, scoring a B-.
Stage 3: Information for Further Research
| Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) | -$16.08 |
| Graham Number | $69.88 |
| PEmg | 19.55 |
| Current Ratio | 1.83 |
| PB Ratio | 2.27 |
| Current Dividend | $1.28 |
| Dividend Yield | 1.66% |
| Number of Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 20 |
Useful Links:
| ModernGraham tagged articles | Morningstar |
| Google Finance | MSN Money |
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| GuruFocus | SEC Filings |
Most Recent Balance Sheet Figures
| Balance Sheet Information | 9/1/2018 |
| Total Current Assets | $2,059,577,000 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $1,127,009,000 |
| Long-Term Debt | $1,411,605,000 |
| Total Assets | $7,487,195,000 |
| Intangible Assets | $1,988,907,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $3,800,918,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) | 108,302,000 |
Earnings Per Share History
| EPS History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $6.53 |
| Dec2017 | $0.49 |
| Dec2016 | $5.68 |
| Dec2015 | $3.00 |
| Dec2014 | $1.69 |
| Dec2013 | $4.90 |
| Dec2012 | $3.47 |
| Dec2011 | $4.28 |
| Dec2010 | $3.43 |
| Dec2009 | $1.94 |
| Dec2008 | $2.09 |
| Dec2007 | $2.36 |
| Dec2006 | $1.47 |
| Dec2005 | $1.20 |
| Dec2004 | $0.65 |
| Dec2003 | $0.86 |
| Dec2002 | $0.85 |
| Dec2001 | $0.74 |
| Dec2000 | $1.09 |
| Dec1999 | $0.94 |
| Dec1998 | $0.82 |
Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham History
| EPSmg History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $3.96 |
| Dec2017 | $2.83 |
| Dec2016 | $3.92 |
| Dec2015 | $3.18 |
| Dec2014 | $3.36 |
| Dec2013 | $4.00 |
| Dec2012 | $3.38 |
| Dec2011 | $3.17 |
| Dec2010 | $2.49 |
| Dec2009 | $1.95 |
| Dec2008 | $1.82 |
| Dec2007 | $1.56 |
| Dec2006 | $1.11 |
| Dec2005 | $0.90 |
| Dec2004 | $0.78 |
| Dec2003 | $0.87 |
| Dec2002 | $0.87 |
Recommended Reading:
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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.
