Fact based stock research
SGS (SWX:SGSN)

CH0002497458

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.

SGS stock research in summary

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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 4 (worse than 96% compared with investment alternatives), SGS (Research & Consulting, Switzerland) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of SGS are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 14 (worse than 86% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 48), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 23), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 4, is a sell recommendation based on SGS's financial characteristics. As the company SGS's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 14), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 48), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 23), 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. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	14
Growth Rank	48
Safety Rank	23
Combined Rank	4

Country	Switzerland
Industry	Research & Consulting
Index	Customer Focus EU, Employee Focus EU, Diversity Europe, Low Waste, Renewables Users, Sound Pay Europe, SPI, SMI
Size class	X-Large

This stock has achievements: Gold Winner CEO, Top 10 Stock.

18-Apr-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

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.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

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: SGS

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	17	12	18	14
GROWTH
GROWTH	73	12	64	48
SAFETY
SAFETY	14	34	18	23
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	82	45	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	18	18	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 18-Apr-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 31-Dec-2023. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better SGS is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	17	12	18	14
GROWTH
GROWTH	73	12	64	48
SAFETY
SAFETY	14	34	18	23
COMBINED
COMBINED	7	1	10	4

Last update of combined financial performance: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of SGS the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 14 (worse than 86% compared with alternatives), SGS 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 SGS. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 71% 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 22 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 78% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning SGS's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 16 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 84% 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 14, is a sell recommendation based on SGS's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick SGS? 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 SGS 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)	8	19	22	22
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	25	11	20	16
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	2	1	1	1
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	60	67	79	71
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	17	12	18	14

Last update of Value Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of SGS; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 48 (better than 48% compared with alternatives), SGS 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 SGS. Sales Growth has a rank of 55 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 55% of its competitors. Capital Growth is also above 42% of competitors with a rank of 61. But Profit Growth only has a rank of 42, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 58% of its competitors. And Stock Returns have also been below average with a rank of only 40. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 48, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Profits are sometimes low if the company invests in the future. The positive revenue and capital investment outlook confirms such an interpretation. Both revenues and capital are solid growth indicators, and lower profits in such a case would be encouraging. But the investors see it differently by punishing the share price. Sometimes, Mister Market is not very reliable, because it is not uncommon for it to be volatile. Investors should look out for signs of growth expenditure that could justify low profit growth, and they may also find reasons why recent stock price developments don't confirm the growth outlook of operations. While operating growth indicators are not perfect, they are more reliable indicators for future performance than stock prices that can repeatedly surprise investors. 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, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	70	28	51	55
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	67	23	46	42
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	53	80	61
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	43	28	20	40
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	73	12	64	48

Last update of Growth Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of SGS.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 23 (better than 23% compared with alternatives), the company SGS has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of SGS 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 SGS. Liquidity is at 76, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 76% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 40, 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 60% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 1, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 99% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 23 (worse than 77% compared with alternatives), SGS has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually 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. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	41	5	3	1
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	20	36	24	40
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	52	78	76	76
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	14	34	18	23

Last update of Safety Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of SGS and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	5	5	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	38	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	96	62	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	83	93	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	82	45	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for SGS.
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