Fact based stock research
Softcat (LSE:SCT)
GB00BYZDVK82
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.
Softcat stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 78 (better than 78% compared with investment alternatives), Softcat (IT Consulting & oth. Services, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Softcat are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 13 (worse than 87% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 77) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 100, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 78, is a strong buy recommendation based on Softcat's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Softcat exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 13), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 77). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 100) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). 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 | IT Consulting & oth. Services |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Customer Focus EU, Dividends Europe, Employee Focus EU, Diversity Europe |
| Size class | Large |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
14-Nov-2024. 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: Softcat
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 19 |
|
15 |
|
14 |
|
13 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 72 |
|
9 |
|
95 |
|
77 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 84 |
|
91 |
|
99 |
|
100 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
21 |
|
90 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
7 |
|
96 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 78 (better than 78% compared with investment alternatives), Softcat (IT Consulting & oth. Services, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Softcat are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 13 (worse than 87% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 77) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 100, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 78, is a strong buy recommendation based on Softcat's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Softcat exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 13), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 77). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 100) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). 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 | 19 |
|
15 |
|
14 |
|
13 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 72 |
|
9 |
|
95 |
|
77 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 84 |
|
91 |
|
99 |
|
100 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 59 |
|
7 |
|
86 |
|
78 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 13 (worse than 87% compared with alternatives), Softcat shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Softcat. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 61% of comparable companies, making the stock an attractive buy for dividend investors. However, dividend investors may get disappointed because all other critical financial indicators are below the market median: Price-to-Sales is 13 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 87% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Softcat's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 15 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 85% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 1 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 99% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 13, is a sell recommendation based on Softcat's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Softcat? The company-reported financials speak against it. The company is expensive compared with revenue and invested capital levels, two reliable company size indicators. In addition, it currently has a low level of profits. How can future dividends be paid in the case that profits remain low? Dividend investors should choose Softcat only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. 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) | 15 |
|
21 |
|
13 |
|
13 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 31 |
|
19 |
|
19 |
|
15 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 4 |
|
3 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 70 |
|
79 |
|
74 |
|
61 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 19 |
|
15 |
|
14 |
|
13 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Softcat 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 but one indicator above average for Softcat. Sales Growth has a rank of 90 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 90% of its competitors. Both Profit Growth, with a rank of 53, and Stock Returns, with a rank of 79, are also above average. But Capital Growth only has a rank of 34, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 66% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 77, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That may be a good sign if the company is already well positioned and doesn't require more investments at this time. They may focus on growing the top (revenues) and bottom (profits) lines, recently rewarded with above-average stock returns for shareholders. But it may also be a sign of danger as the company is falling back with capital investment activities concerning competition. This requires further analysis of corporate communications. 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. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 60 |
|
42 |
|
84 |
|
90 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 78 |
|
15 |
|
53 |
|
53 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
39 |
|
95 |
|
34 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 52 |
|
33 |
|
59 |
|
79 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 72 |
|
9 |
|
95 |
|
77 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Softcat has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Softcat 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, with two out of three indicators above average for Softcat. 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. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 100, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 100% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 48, 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 52% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives), Softcat has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Softcat. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge with Softcat 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 | 77 |
|
96 |
|
96 |
|
100 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 54 |
|
33 |
|
45 |
|
48 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 76 |
|
98 |
|
98 |
|
100 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 84 |
|
91 |
|
99 |
|
100 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
14 |
|
36 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
17 |
|
60 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
77 |
|
100 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
48 |
|
89 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
21 |
|
90 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Softcat from November 14, 2024.
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