Fact based stock research
UCB (ENXTBR:UCB)
BE0003739530
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.
UCB stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 40 (worse than 60% compared with investment alternatives), UCB (Pharmaceuticals, Belgium) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of UCB are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 32 (worse than 68% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 19, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 86). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 40, is a hold recommendation based on UCB's financial characteristics. As the company UCB shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 32 (68% of comparable investments are less expensive), investors should look at the other ranks. In this case, growth is expected to be above-average, better than 86% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 86). This is a typical case. Companies with above average growth tend to cost more than stocks with slower growth expectations. If this is a high-growth company, the low Obermatt Safety Rank of 19 is a good sign. The more debt a well-performing company has, the higher the returns to shareholders. However, if growth turns negative or interest rates increase, high debt may become a burden. If you believe the future is bright for UCB, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. 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 | Belgium |
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals |
| Index | BEL20, Human Rights |
| Size class | X-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: UCB
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 88 |
|
74 |
|
79 |
|
32 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 48 |
|
19 |
|
89 |
|
86 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 24 |
|
38 |
|
24 |
|
19 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
38 |
|
10 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
30 |
|
45 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 40 (worse than 60% compared with investment alternatives), UCB (Pharmaceuticals, Belgium) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of UCB are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 32 (worse than 68% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 19, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 86). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 40, is a hold recommendation based on UCB's financial characteristics. As the company UCB shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 32 (68% of comparable investments are less expensive), investors should look at the other ranks. In this case, growth is expected to be above-average, better than 86% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 86). This is a typical case. Companies with above average growth tend to cost more than stocks with slower growth expectations. If this is a high-growth company, the low Obermatt Safety Rank of 19 is a good sign. The more debt a well-performing company has, the higher the returns to shareholders. However, if growth turns negative or interest rates increase, high debt may become a burden. If you believe the future is bright for UCB, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. 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 | 88 |
|
74 |
|
79 |
|
32 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 48 |
|
19 |
|
89 |
|
86 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 24 |
|
38 |
|
24 |
|
19 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 47 |
|
32 |
|
82 |
|
40 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 32 (worse than 68% compared with alternatives), UCB 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 UCB. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 57% 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 28 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 72% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning UCB's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 26 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 74% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 49 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 51% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 32, is a hold recommendation based on UCB's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick UCB? 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 UCB 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) | 73 |
|
54 |
|
46 |
|
28 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 83 |
|
71 |
|
54 |
|
26 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 67 |
|
78 |
|
81 |
|
49 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 58 |
|
65 |
|
70 |
|
57 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 88 |
|
74 |
|
79 |
|
32 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 86 (better than 86% compared with alternatives) for 2024, UCB 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 UCB. Sales Growth has a rank of 70 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 70% of its competitors. Capital Growth is also above 43% of competitors with a rank of 60, and Stock Returns with the rank of 88 is also an outperformance. Only Profit Growth is low with a rank of 43 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 57% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 86, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. All three operating growth indicators, namely revenue, profit, and capital growth, are showing improvements. This is a good indication of a company with a positive future. That might, at the same time, be the simple reason why profit growth is low. A growing company needs money and thus can't yet show high profit growth. Look out for signs in corporate communication about extra growth efforts costing time and money. If that is the case, UCB is a good growth stock. 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 | 40 |
|
6 |
|
54 |
|
70 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 82 |
|
48 |
|
77 |
|
43 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
21 |
|
76 |
|
60 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 62 |
|
54 |
|
52 |
|
88 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 48 |
|
19 |
|
89 |
|
86 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 19 (better than 19% compared with alternatives), the company UCB 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 UCB 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 UCB and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 53 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 53% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 20, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 80% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 26, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 74% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 19 (worse than 81% compared with alternatives), UCB has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. This is an indication that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. There is only below-market average liquidity, and a short-term refinancing issue might be around the corner. But in the long-term, the debt levels of UCB are on the safer side. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge and liquidity issues with UCB 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 | 12 |
|
43 |
|
48 |
|
53 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 32 |
|
24 |
|
23 |
|
20 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 91 |
|
56 |
|
40 |
|
26 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 24 |
|
38 |
|
24 |
|
19 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
49 |
|
36 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
48 |
|
24 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
56 |
|
14 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
27 |
|
47 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
38 |
|
10 |
|
new |
|
Stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for UCB from April 18, 2024.
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