September 12, 2024
Top 10 Stock Softbank Sell Recommendation



How to read the 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.

Snapshot: Softbank – Top 10 Stock in Nikkei 225 Index


group.softbank


Softbank is listed as a top 10 stock on September 12, 2024 in the market index Nikkei 225 because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Only one consolidated Obermatt Rank is above-average. The company is growing above average, but all other facts speak against a stock purchase, especially the low market sentiment by professional investors. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 1 (1% performer), Obermatt issues an overall sell recommendation for Softbank on September 12, 2024.


Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks


Country Japan
Industry Wireless Telecommunication
Index TOPIX 100, Nikkei 225
Size class XX-Large
Latest Research


Top 10 Stocks ≠ most popular stocks

When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).

For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).


360° View: Obermatt 360° View Softbank Sell

360 METRICS September 12, 2024
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT
360° VIEW
360° VIEW

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 1 (better than 1% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Softbank are critical, mostly below average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Softbank. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 85, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth, as well as stock returns. It ranks higher than 85% of competitors in the same industry. The other indicators are below average, namely the Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks.The Value Rank at 9 means that the share price of Softbank is on the high side compared with its peers regarding revenues, profits, and invested capital. The stock price is higher than for 91% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 6, which means that the company has a riskier financing structure than 94% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. The consolidated Sentiment Rank also has a low rank of 17, indicating professional investors are more pessimistic about the stock than for 83% of alternative investment opportunities. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 1, Softbank is worse than 99% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. This means that Softbank shares are on the riskier side for investors. As only one of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibits excellent performance, namely the above-average growth (Growth Rank of 85), it is a riskier stock investment proposition. Aside from the critical professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 17), the company is rather risky when it comes to financing (Safety Rank of 6). The negative market view on Softbank may be due to the high stock price (low value). A growth company like this may get too expensive at one point in time. If too many investors are desperate to join the party, they may drive stock prices above reasonable levels. While it is typical for growth companies to have low value, because investors are willing to pay more for companies that are expected to have high growth, the crucial question is: how much more do you pay for the stock of Softbank compared with alternatives? You can use the following rule of thumb: The value rank shouldn’t be lower than one minus the growth rank. For example, if the growth rank is at 75, and the value rank is at 5, you should tread carefully. If the value rank is at 40, it still might be a good value (even though it is lower than 50). As market sentiment is critical, you should be careful with paying more than market-average for this stock and conduct further research into the company's future growth potential. ...read more




Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Softbank negative

SENTIMENT METRICS September 12, 2024
ANALYST OPINION
ANALYST OPINION
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 17 (better than 17% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Softbank is critical, mostly below average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Softbank. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 78 (better than 78% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Analyst Opinions Change is also positive and has a rank of 62 which means that currently, stock research experts are getting even more optimistic about investments in Softbank. But Market Pulse has a low rank of 6, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the negative side when discussing this company (more negative news than for 94% of competitors). This is an essential sign of caution, as it could be the forebearer of bad news. Professional Investors are also somewhat absent with a rank of 9, which means that, currently, professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 91% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to invest in other companies. This is expected if the company is of a smaller size (medium or smaller). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 17 (less encouraging than 83% compared with investment alternatives), Softbank has a reputation among professional investors that is far below that of its competitors. While the general news feeds in the professional market are negative, the analyst recommendations are optimistic about the company, and even increase their ratings despite the negative news. This is an ambiguous situation with positive and negative signals from the professional side. Investors should be on the lookout for negative news but not worry too much about it as long as the overall news is still positive. ...read more



Value Strategy: Softbank Stock Price Value low

VALUE METRICS September 12, 2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 9 (worse than 91% compared with alternatives), Softbank shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Softbank. Price-to-Sales is 37 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 63% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Softbank's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 46, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Softbank. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 3 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 96% 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 9, is a sell recommendation based on Softbank's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Softbank? 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 Softbank? 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. Softbank 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. ...read more



Growth Strategy: Softbank Growth Momentum high

GROWTH METRICS September 12, 2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 85 (better than 85% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Softbank shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators above average for Softbank. Sales Growth has a value of 76, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 76% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth with a value of 88 and for Capital Growth with 64. In addition, Stock Returns had an above-average rank value of 51, which means they have been higher than 51% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 85, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Since all Growth Ranks are positive, Softbank exhibits above-average growth momentum. This could be due to a uniquely strong market position, proprietary technology, or an extensive corporate acquisition strategy. Growth investors will find this an attractive investment opportunity, unless they expect that the current phase is transitory and will deteriorate in the future. The current performance could also be a temporary recovery from a very low point, such as a turn-around situation. In the case of a turn-around, the current performance may or may not be followed by a continuing positive development. ...read more



Safety Strategy: Softbank Debt Financing Safety risky

SAFETY METRICS September 12, 2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE
REFINANCING
REFINANCING
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 6 (better than 6% compared with alternatives), the company Softbank 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 Softbank 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 all three metrics below average for Softbank. Liquidity is at 12, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 88% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. Even worse, Leverage is at a rank of 12, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 88% of its competitors. Finally, Refinancing is at a rank of 7 which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 93% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 6 (worse than 94% compared with alternatives), Softbank has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. This combination is rather dangerous in most situations. Only very promising companies with bright future outlooks and stellar reputations can operate with such risky financing.



Combined financial peformance: Softbank Lowest Financial Performance

COMBINED PERFORMANCE September 12, 2024
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
COMBINED
COMBINED

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 6 (worse than 94% compared with investment alternatives), Softbank (Wireless Telecommunication, Japan) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Softbank are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 9 (worse than 91% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 6, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 85). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 6, is a sell recommendation based on Softbank's financial characteristics. As the company Softbank shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 9 (91% 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 85% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 85). 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 6 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 Softbank, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. ...read more

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