Fact based stock research
Firstgroup (LSE:FGP)
GB0003452173
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.
Firstgroup stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 8 (worse than 92% compared with investment alternatives), Firstgroup (Trucking, United Kingdom) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Firstgroup are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 66 (better than 66% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 1), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 26), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 8, is a sell recommendation based on Firstgroup's financial characteristics. As the company Firstgroup's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 66) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 1) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 26), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 66% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Trucking |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Low Emissions, Energy Efficient, Diversity Europe |
| Size class | X-Large |
This stock has achievements: Gold Winner CEO, Top 10 Stock.
14-Nov-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Firstgroup
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 90 |
|
63 |
|
44 |
|
66 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 21 |
|
1 |
|
46 |
|
1 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 13 |
|
83 |
|
27 |
|
26 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
71 |
|
86 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
65 |
|
49 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 8 (worse than 92% compared with investment alternatives), Firstgroup (Trucking, United Kingdom) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Firstgroup are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 66 (better than 66% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 1), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 26), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 8, is a sell recommendation based on Firstgroup's financial characteristics. As the company Firstgroup's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 66) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 1) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 26), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 66% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 90 |
|
63 |
|
44 |
|
66 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 21 |
|
1 |
|
46 |
|
1 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 13 |
|
83 |
|
27 |
|
26 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 33 |
|
44 |
|
20 |
|
8 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 66 (better than 66% compared with alternatives), Firstgroup shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Firstgroup. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 85, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 85% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Firstgroup's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 56% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 59 (dividends are expected to be higher than 59% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 53% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Firstgroup to 47. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 66, is a buy recommendation based on Firstgroup's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner in assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Profits, and Dividends are reliable indicators for the stock price value. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 97 |
|
97 |
|
81 |
|
85 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 97 |
|
37 |
|
31 |
|
56 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 90 |
|
71 |
|
44 |
|
47 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 1 |
|
39 |
|
44 |
|
59 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 90 |
|
63 |
|
44 |
|
66 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 1 (better than 1% compared with alternatives), Firstgroup shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four metrics below average for Firstgroup. Sales Growth has a rank of 4, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 96% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth, with a rank of 14, and Capital Growth with 20. In addition, Stock Returns have a below market rank of 10, which means that the stock returns have recently been below 90% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 1, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. These are all bad growth momentum indicators. These are negative signals for investors interested in growth companies. Value is likely good for this company, as investors may have left this stock in the cold. If that is the case, investors should look at the company's outlook, especially Sentiment performance, because it may be a turnaround situation that could entail above-average stock returns in the future. But it remains a risky bet, as no growth signals are in the green zone yet. 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 low here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 1 |
|
4 |
|
22 |
|
4 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 91 |
|
1 |
|
60 |
|
14 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
25 |
|
21 |
|
20 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 90 |
|
63 |
|
98 |
|
10 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 21 |
|
1 |
|
46 |
|
1 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 26 (better than 26% compared with alternatives), the company Firstgroup has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Firstgroup 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 Firstgroup. Liquidity is at 68, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 68% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 10, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 90% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 21, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 79% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 26 (worse than 74% compared with alternatives), Firstgroup has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 1 |
|
28 |
|
24 |
|
21 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 97 |
|
81 |
|
13 |
|
10 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 66 |
|
95 |
|
68 |
|
68 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 13 |
|
83 |
|
27 |
|
26 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
42 |
|
73 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
67 |
|
72 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
29 |
|
38 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
84 |
|
93 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
71 |
|
86 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Firstgroup from November 14, 2024.
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