May 18, 2023
Top 10 Stock DFDS Hold 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: DFDS – Top 10 Stock in SDG 14: Life Below Water
DFDS is listed as a top 10 stock on May 18, 2023 in the market index SDG 14 because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Only one consolidated Obermatt Rank is above-average. The company enjoys a positive professional investor sentiment, but all financial facts speak against a stock purchase. This is likely an investment into the future. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 46 (46% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for DFDS on May 18, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
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° Assessment DFDS Hold
| 360 METRICS | May 18, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 38 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 31 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 33 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 90 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 46 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 46 (better than 46% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock DFDS are below the industry average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for DFDS. The consolidated Sentiment Rank has a good rank of 90, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 90% of alternative investment opportunities. But all other ranks are below average. The consolidated Value Rank has a rank of 38, which means that the share price of DFDS is on the higher side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. The consolidated Growth Rank also has a low rank of 31, meaning that the company exhibits below-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, invested capital growth, and stock returns. This means that growth is lower than for 31% of competitors in the same industry. Finally, the consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 33 which means that the company has a riskier financing structure than 67% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a 360° View of 46, DFDS is worse than 54% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As only the professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 90) is above-average, and all other consolidated Obermatt Ranks are below peers, the stock investing proposition case is rather weak. The stock price is expensive for a company of this size in this industry, visible in the below-average Value Rank. Growth is below the competition based on the Growth Rank, and the company has more debt than other companies, according to the Safety Rank. So the question becomes: How important is the Sentiment Rank when all others are below average? When it comes to growth, the low rating might be justified if growth is expected in the future and not yet reflected in current performance. This is often the case for companies with intellectual property, such as technology and pharmaceutical companies. In the early phases, these companies are expensive compared with their size and may have a lot of debt on their books, as is the case here, as seen in the low Value and Safety Ranks. Future growth may be the strongest investment rationale in this case, which is only reflected by institutional investors' opinions. You pay more than the market average for this stock and invest in a rather debt-loaded enterprise, but it may be worth it if the future of DFDṢ is bright. A small investment might be justified, but proceed with caution. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for DFDS very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 90 (better than 90% compared with alternatives) for 2023, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock DFDS is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for DFDS. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 83 (better than 83% 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 with a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the better and recommending investing in the company. They are getting more optimistic about stock investments in DFDS. The Professional Investors rank is 61, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 61% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 86 which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the positive side when discussing this company (more positive news than for 86% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 90 (more positive than 90% compared with investment alternatives), DFDS has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Since all market sentiment indicators are positive, the professional community highly recommends investment in the company. Does this mean DFDS stocks are a safe investment? Far from it. Even professionals make mistakes. Especially in stock investing, there is a tendency to follow the leaders. Since trees don't grow to the heavens, such positive sentiment may also be interpreted as a danger sign. A lot of optimism can often be a sign of troubles to come, albeit unforeseen by most. ...read more
Value Strategy: DFDS Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 38 (worse than 62% compared with alternatives), DFDS shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for DFDS. Price-to-Sales is 49 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 51% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning DFDS's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 37, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of DFDS. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 46 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 58% 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 38, is a HOLD recommendation based on DFDS's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for DFDS? 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 DFDS? It's risky, and even if it continues to grow because of popular demand, it will most likely return to what it's worth. 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 reasonable for the company to dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. DFDS 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: DFDS Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 31 (better than 31% compared with alternatives), DFDS shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for DFDS. Sales Growth has a rank of 53 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 53% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 51. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 23, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 77% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 31, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 31, is a HOLD recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 51% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. ...read more
Safety Strategy: DFDS Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | May 18, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 44 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 29 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 50 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 33 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 33 (better than 33% compared with alternatives), the company DFDS has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of DFDS 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 just one indicator above average for DFDS. Liquidity is at 50, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 50% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 29, 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 71% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 44, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 56% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 33 (worse than 67% compared with alternatives), DFDS has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usuallyl indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: DFDS Lowest Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | May 18, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 38 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 31 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 50 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 12 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 12 (worse than 88% compared with investment alternatives), DFDS (Marine, Denmark) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of DFDS are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Obermatt Value Rank of 38 (worse than 62% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 31), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 33), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: An Obermatt Combined Rank of 12, is a sell recommendation based on DFDS's financial characteristics. As the company DFDS's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 38), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 31), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 33), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. ...read more
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