Fact based stock research
West Fraser (TSX:WFT)
CA9528451052
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.
West Fraser stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with investment alternatives), West Fraser (Forest Products, Canada) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of West Fraser are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 69 (better than 69% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 100), and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 67), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 98, is a strong buy recommendation based on West Fraser's financial characteristics. As the company West Fraser's key financial metrics all exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 69), above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 100), and indicate that the company is safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 67), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the share is limited, unless the company has a bleak future. Such good financial performance can indicate that the company's future might actually be challenging, as it may be difficult to maintain the good performance. If they are safely financed and have been growing above average, and are still a good value, it means that the market is keeping prices low, for a reason which may become clearer over time. We recommend evaluating the future of West Fraser. If you believe the company's future is market-typical or even better, this could be an argument for a share purchase. 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 | Canada |
| Industry | Forest Products |
| Index | Low Waste, Recycling, Timber Industry, TSX Composite |
| Size class | X-Large |
This stock has achievements: Insight 2019-05-24, Top 10 Stock.
19-Dec-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.
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: West Fraser
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 76 |
|
73 |
|
36 |
|
69 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 93 |
|
89 |
|
47 |
|
100 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 82 |
|
96 |
|
97 |
|
67 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
75 |
|
72 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
100 |
|
84 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with investment alternatives), West Fraser (Forest Products, Canada) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of West Fraser are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 69 (better than 69% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 100), and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 67), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 98, is a strong buy recommendation based on West Fraser's financial characteristics. As the company West Fraser's key financial metrics all exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 69), above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 100), and indicate that the company is safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 67), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the share is limited, unless the company has a bleak future. Such good financial performance can indicate that the company's future might actually be challenging, as it may be difficult to maintain the good performance. If they are safely financed and have been growing above average, and are still a good value, it means that the market is keeping prices low, for a reason which may become clearer over time. We recommend evaluating the future of West Fraser. If you believe the company's future is market-typical or even better, this could be an argument for a share purchase. 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 | 76 |
|
73 |
|
36 |
|
69 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 93 |
|
89 |
|
47 |
|
100 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 82 |
|
96 |
|
97 |
|
67 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 95 |
|
100 |
|
70 |
|
98 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 69 (better than 69% compared with alternatives), West Fraser shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where three out of four indicators are above average for West Fraser. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 53 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 53% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for West Fraser's revenue size. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 83. Finally, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of West Fraser are expected to be higher than for 60% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 60). The only low rank is for expected profits with a Price-to-Profit Rank of 44, indicating that the market expects the company's profit to be low despite a high dividend. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 69, is a buy recommendation based on West Fraser's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The low Profit Rank could result from a one-off charge, for instance, for an accident, a legal settlement, or a restructuring project. If the company keeps its dividends high, the low expected profit may be transitory. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Capital, and Dividends are reliable indicators for good stock price value, a low stock price. 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) | 65 |
|
41 |
|
49 |
|
53 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 91 |
|
91 |
|
15 |
|
44 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 73 |
|
82 |
|
88 |
|
83 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 39 |
|
57 |
|
61 |
|
60 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 76 |
|
73 |
|
36 |
|
69 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, West Fraser 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 West Fraser. Sales Growth has a value of 84, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 84% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth with a value of 100 and for Capital Growth with 63. In addition, Stock Returns had an above-average rank value of 77, which means they have been higher than 77% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 100, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Since all Growth Ranks are positive, West Fraser 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. 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 | 93 |
|
3 |
|
22 |
|
84 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 93 |
|
86 |
|
18 |
|
100 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
82 |
|
83 |
|
63 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 76 |
|
83 |
|
55 |
|
77 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 93 |
|
89 |
|
47 |
|
100 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with alternatives), the company West Fraser has financing practices on the safer side, which mean that their overall debt burden is lower than average. This doesn't mean that the business of West Fraser 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 just one indicator above average for West Fraser and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 95 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 95% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 42, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 58% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 17, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 83% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with alternatives), West Fraser has a financing structure that is safer 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 West Fraser are on the safer side. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge and liquidity issues with West Fraser 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 | 92 |
|
90 |
|
98 |
|
95 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 12 |
|
51 |
|
59 |
|
42 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 100 |
|
92 |
|
96 |
|
17 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 82 |
|
96 |
|
97 |
|
67 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
88 |
|
95 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
4 |
|
50 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
51 |
|
14 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
76 |
|
75 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
75 |
|
72 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for West Fraser from December 19, 2024.
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