Fact based stock research
Headlam (LSE:HEAD)
GB0004170089
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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.
Headlam stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with investment alternatives), Headlam (Distributors, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Headlam are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 57 (better than 57% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 79, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 47). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 79, is a strong buy recommendation based on Headlam's financial characteristics. As the company Headlam's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 57) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 47) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 79), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 57% of comparable companies, may also indicate that 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 and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. 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 | Distributors |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, Dividends Europe, Diversity Europe, Sound Pay Europe |
| Size class | Small |
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Headlam
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 95 |
|
72 |
|
63 |
|
57 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 19 |
|
5 |
|
15 |
|
47 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 90 |
|
98 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 97 |
|
10 |
|
16 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 89 |
|
33 |
|
34 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with investment alternatives), Headlam (Distributors, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Headlam are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 57 (better than 57% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 79, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 47). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 79, is a strong buy recommendation based on Headlam's financial characteristics. As the company Headlam's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 57) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 47) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 79), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 57% of comparable companies, may also indicate that 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 and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. 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 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 95 |
|
72 |
|
63 |
|
57 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 19 |
|
5 |
|
15 |
|
47 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 90 |
|
98 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 78 |
|
73 |
|
69 |
|
79 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 57 (better than 57% compared with alternatives), Headlam shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where half the indicators are below and half above average for Headlam. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 88, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 88% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Headlam's revenue size. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio), which is more favorable than for 87% of alternatives (13% of peers have a higher ratio). But expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 1 are lower than average (dividends are expected to be lower than 99% of other stocks) while the Price to Profit ratio (or Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio) is higher than average with a Price-to-Profit Rank of 20, making the stock more expensive compared with the company's expected profit levels. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 57, is a buy recommendation based on Headlam's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Low profits and low dividends as seen here for Headlam may indicate a restructuring phase. This could be transitory, making the company a good value when profits recover and dividends return to higher levels. If the stock price is compared with the size indicators for revenue and invested capital, it is on the lower side, making this stock a good value investment (apart from current profit and dividend expectations). 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 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 74 |
|
69 |
|
81 |
|
88 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 79 |
|
25 |
|
20 |
|
20 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 64 |
|
65 |
|
85 |
|
87 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 88 |
|
84 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 95 |
|
72 |
|
63 |
|
57 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 47 (better than 47% compared with alternatives), Headlam shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Headlam. Sales Growth has a rank of 70, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 70% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 67 is also above average. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 30, and Stock Returns with 11 are also below-average. Stock returns for Headlam have recently been below 89% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 47, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Are investors forecasting troubles based on the lack of operating investment activity at the company? This could be one explanation as to why stock returns are low. But stock returns can also be the result of correcting an error in the past, in this case, an overly optimistic outlook on the future, which is now more realistic. The Value Ranks may confirm such a picture. The more important growth indicators are revenues and profits, which are both above average for Headlam. This is a positive sign from the company's operational side and may give investors courage, despite the poor recent stock price performance. 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 the Obermatt 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 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 29 |
|
15 |
|
34 |
|
70 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 12 |
|
11 |
|
4 |
|
67 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 48 |
|
9 |
|
65 |
|
30 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 57 |
|
20 |
|
13 |
|
11 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 19 |
|
5 |
|
15 |
|
47 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company Headlam has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Headlam is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators where two out of three are above average for Headlam.Leverage is at 91, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 91% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 94, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 94% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 8, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 92% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives), Headlam has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. Investors should compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before deciding. They may also want to investigate why cash flows are expected to be low, making debt service for Headlam more challenging. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 85 |
|
95 |
|
80 |
|
91 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 75 |
|
78 |
|
84 |
|
94 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 65 |
|
79 |
|
76 |
|
8 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 90 |
|
98 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
24 |
|
74 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 50 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 90 |
|
20 |
|
1 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 92 |
|
61 |
|
34 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 97 |
|
10 |
|
16 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Headlam from July 31, 2025.
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