Fact based stock research
Softcat (LSE:SCT)

GB00BYZDVK82

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.

Softcat stock research in summary

softcat.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 45 (worse than 55% compared with investment alternatives), Softcat (IT Consulting & oth. Services, United Kingdom) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Softcat are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 10 (worse than 90% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 49) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 100), which means low debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 45, is a hold recommendation based on Softcat's financial characteristics. As the company Softcat's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 10) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 49), 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. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 100) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for 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	10
Growth Rank	49
Safety Rank	100
Combined Rank	45

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	IT Consulting & oth. Services
Index	FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Customer Focus EU, Dividends Europe, Employee Focus EU, Diversity Europe
Size class	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.

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: Softcat

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	19	15	14	10
GROWTH
GROWTH	72	9	95	49
SAFETY
SAFETY	84	91	99	100
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	21	90	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	7	96	^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 Softcat is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	19	15	14	10
GROWTH
GROWTH	72	9	95	49
SAFETY
SAFETY	84	91	99	100
COMBINED
COMBINED	59	7	86	45

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

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 10 (worse than 90% compared with alternatives), Softcat 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 Softcat. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 64% 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 5 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 95% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Softcat's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 15 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 85% 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 10, is a sell recommendation based on Softcat's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Softcat? 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 Softcat 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)	15	21	13	5
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	31	19	19	15
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	4	3	1	1
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	70	79	74	64
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	19	15	14	10

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

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 49 (better than 49% compared with alternatives), Softcat 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 Softcat. Sales Growth has a rank of 83 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 83% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 83. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 9, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 91% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 32, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 49, 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 83% 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. 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	60	42	84	83
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	78	15	53	32
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	39	95	9
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	52	33	59	83
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	72	9	95	49

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

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Softcat has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Softcat 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 two out of three indicators above average for Softcat. 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. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 98, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 98% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 42, 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 58% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives), Softcat has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Softcat. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge with Softcat 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	77	96	96	95
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	54	33	45	42
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	76	98	98	98
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	84	91	99	100

Last update of Safety Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Softcat 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	14	36	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	17	60	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	77	100	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	48	89	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	21	90	^new

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