Fact based stock research
ABF (LSE:ABF)
GB0006731235
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.
ABF stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with investment alternatives), ABF (Packaged Foods & Meats, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of ABF are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 49 (worse than 51% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 79) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 94, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 96, is a strong buy recommendation based on ABF's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company ABF exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 49), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 79). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 94) 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 | Packaged Foods & Meats |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 100, FTSE 350, Low Emissions, Energy Efficient, Human Rights, Water Efficiency |
| Size class | XX-Large |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
18-Apr-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: ABF
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 18 |
|
44 |
|
32 |
|
49 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 28 |
|
36 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 78 |
|
62 |
|
80 |
|
94 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
82 |
|
66 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
68 |
|
92 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with investment alternatives), ABF (Packaged Foods & Meats, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of ABF are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 49 (worse than 51% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 79) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 94, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 96, is a strong buy recommendation based on ABF's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company ABF exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 49), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 79). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 94) 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 | 18 |
|
44 |
|
32 |
|
49 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 28 |
|
36 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 78 |
|
62 |
|
80 |
|
94 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 24 |
|
38 |
|
89 |
|
96 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 49 (worse than 51% compared with alternatives), ABF shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for ABF. Only Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) indicates good stock value with a rank of 51, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is lower than for 51% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning ABF's profit levels. But Price-to-Sales is 40 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 60% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning ABF's profit levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 49 and for dividend yield, which is lower than for 60% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive as regards to the company's expected dividend payouts. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 49, is a hold recommendation based on ABF's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Can we rely on only one good value indicator? Only if we know the company well. In this case, a high Price-to-Profit Rank, while Price-to-Sales and Price-to-Book are both below the market typical levels, means that the company can charge higher prices for its products and needs less capital to produce them. If this is sustainable, then ABF is a good investment because profits count most in enterprise valuations. The low dividend yield indicates that the company is confident it can do something with the generated cash that is more valuable than paying the profits out to the shareholders in the form of dividends. 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) | 38 |
|
49 |
|
38 |
|
40 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 35 |
|
50 |
|
42 |
|
51 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 46 |
|
58 |
|
45 |
|
49 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 1 |
|
37 |
|
37 |
|
40 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 18 |
|
44 |
|
32 |
|
49 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives) for 2024, ABF 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 ABF. Sales Growth has a rank of 64 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 64% of its competitors. Both Profit Growth, with a rank of 75, and Stock Returns, with a rank of 74, are also above average. But Capital Growth only has a rank of 39, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 61% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 79, 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 | 48 |
|
45 |
|
76 |
|
64 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 66 |
|
82 |
|
78 |
|
75 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
39 |
|
31 |
|
39 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 25 |
|
20 |
|
98 |
|
74 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 28 |
|
36 |
|
94 |
|
79 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company ABF has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of ABF 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 all three are above average for ABF. Leverage is at 84, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 84% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 56, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 56% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 81, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 81% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with alternatives), ABF has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with ABF but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 71 |
|
73 |
|
83 |
|
84 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 53 |
|
52 |
|
56 |
|
56 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 75 |
|
54 |
|
61 |
|
81 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 78 |
|
62 |
|
80 |
|
94 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
67 |
|
31 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
75 |
|
72 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
72 |
|
62 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
41 |
|
61 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
82 |
|
66 |
|
new |
|
Stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for ABF from April 18, 2024.
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