Fact based stock research
Align (NasdaqGS:ALGN)

US0162551016

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Align stock research in summary

aligntech.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 6 (worse than 94% compared with investment alternatives), Align (Health Care Supplies, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Align are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 25 (worse than 75% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 1, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 59). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 6, is a sell recommendation based on Align's financial characteristics. As the company Align shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 25 (75% of comparable investments are less expensive), investors should look at the other ranks. In this case, growth is expected to be above-average, better than 59% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 59). This is a typical case. Companies with above average growth tend to cost more than stocks with slower growth expectations. If this is a high-growth company, the low Obermatt Safety Rank of 1 is a good sign. The more debt a well-performing company has, the higher the returns to shareholders. However, if growth turns negative or interest rates increase, high debt may become a burden. If you believe the future is bright for Align, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	25
Growth Rank	59
Safety Rank	1
Combined Rank	6

Country	USA
Industry	Health Care Supplies
Index	NASDAQ 100, NASDAQ, D.J. US Medical, S&P 500
Size class	X-Large

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

26-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Align

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	4	13	27	25
GROWTH
GROWTH	100	65	55	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	58	100	100	1
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	81	98	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	45	78	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 26-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Align is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	4	13	27	25
GROWTH
GROWTH	100	65	55	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	58	100	100	1
COMBINED
COMBINED	52	43	43	6

Last update of combined financial performance: 4-Jul-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Align the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 25 (worse than 75% compared with alternatives), Align shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Align. Price-to-Sales is 31 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 69% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Align's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 37, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Align. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 48 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 99% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 25, is a hold recommendation based on Align's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Align? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Align? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Align may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	19	39	31	31
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	40	44	34	48
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	14	22	36	37
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	1	1	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	4	13	27	25

Last update of Value Rank: 26-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Align; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 59 (better than 59% compared with alternatives), Align shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Align. Capital Growth has a rank of 76, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 48% of its competitors. Investors welcomed this, visible in the Stock Returns rank of 51 (above 51% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has only a rank of 34, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 66% of its competitors, and Profit Growth is also low at a rank of 48. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 59, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is an ambiguous picture. Revenue growth and capital growth are strong, but the growth in profit, which seems good, can also be an indication that growth momentum may be negative. The fact that stock returns have been above average doesn't help much, as stock returns are less reliable in showing a company’s future growth potential. Prices may perform well for the simple reason that investors were too pessimistic in the past and are now correcting their opinions and moving the stock price to a more reasonable level. As the growth picture is mixed for Align, investors may want to look at value and sentiment indicators for a well-rounded picture of this stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	100	47	24	34
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	82	95	48	48
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	15	77	76
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	94	75	77	51
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	100	65	55	59

Last update of Growth Rank: 26-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Align.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 1 (better than 1% compared with alternatives), the company Align has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Align is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Align and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 100 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 100% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 3, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 97% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 1, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 99% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 1 (worse than 99% compared with alternatives), Align has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. This is an indication that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. There is only below-market average liquidity, and a short-term refinancing issue might be around the corner. But in the long-term, the debt levels of Align are on the safer side. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge and liquidity issues with Align and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	69	100	100	100
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	4	3	3	3
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	88	100	100	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	58	100	100	1

Last update of Safety Rank: 4-Jul-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Align and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	44	34	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	26	71	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	73	94	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	96	89	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	81	98	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 26-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Align.
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