Key Insights
- Reservoir Media's estimated fair value is US$11.34 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity
- Reservoir Media is estimated to be 29% undervalued based on current share price of US$8.08
- Our fair value estimate is 9.3% lower than Reservoir Media's analyst price target of US$12.50
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSVR) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.
Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.
Is Reservoir Media Fairly Valued?
We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.
Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:
10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast
2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 | |
Levered FCF ($, Millions) | US$42.2m | US$46.0m | US$48.8m | US$51.3m | US$53.5m | US$55.5m | US$57.3m | US$59.0m | US$60.7m | US$62.3m |
Growth Rate Estimate Source | Analyst x2 | Analyst x2 | Est @ 6.21% | Est @ 5.06% | Est @ 4.26% | Est @ 3.70% | Est @ 3.30% | Est @ 3.02% | Est @ 2.83% | Est @ 2.70% |
Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 9.0% | US$38.7 | US$38.7 | US$37.7 | US$36.3 | US$34.7 | US$33.0 | US$31.3 | US$29.5 | US$27.9 | US$26.2 |
("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$334m
After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 9.0%.
Terminal Value (TV)= FCF2034 × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$62m× (1 + 2.4%) ÷ (9.0%– 2.4%) = US$959m
Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$959m÷ ( 1 + 9.0%)10= US$404m
The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$738m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$8.1, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 29% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.
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The Assumptions
The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Reservoir Media as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.447. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.
SWOT Analysis for Reservoir Media
- No major strengths identified for RSVR.
- Earnings declined over the past year.
- Interest payments on debt are not well covered.
- Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the American market.
- Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.
- Have RSVR insiders been buying lately?
- Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.
- Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the American market.
- Is RSVR well equipped to handle threats?
Looking Ahead:
Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Reservoir Media, we've compiled three fundamental aspects you should further examine:
- Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Reservoir Media you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant.
- Future Earnings: How does RSVR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart.
- Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!
PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com