Fact based stock research
Watches of Switzerland Group (LSE:WOSG)

GB00BJDQQ870

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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.

Watches of Switzerland Group stock research in summary

thewosgroupplc.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 69 (better than 69% compared with investment alternatives), Watches of Switzerland Group (Specialty Stores, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Watches of Switzerland Group are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 47 (worse than 53% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 43) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 81), which means low debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 69, is a buy recommendation based on Watches of Switzerland Group's financial characteristics. As the company Watches of Switzerland Group's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 47) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 43), 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 81) 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	47
Growth Rank	43
Safety Rank	81
Combined Rank	69

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Specialty Stores
Index	FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350
Size class	Large

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.

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Watches of Switzerland Group

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	5	5	12	47
GROWTH
GROWTH	94	93	53	43
SAFETY
SAFETY	42	32	54	81
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	59	70	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	41	48	^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 Watches of Switzerland Group is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	5	5	12	47
GROWTH
GROWTH	94	93	53	43
SAFETY
SAFETY	42	32	54	81
COMBINED
COMBINED	24	36	26	69

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

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 47 (worse than 53% compared with alternatives), Watches of Switzerland Group 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 Watches of Switzerland Group. Only Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) indicates good stock value with a rank of 90, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is lower than for 90% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Watches of Switzerland Group's profit levels. But Price-to-Sales is 38 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 62% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Watches of Switzerland Group'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 43 and for dividend yield, which is lower than for 99% 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 47, is a hold recommendation based on Watches of Switzerland Group'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 Watches of Switzerland Group 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)	19	16	21	38
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	30	27	47	90
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	6	10	26	43
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	1	1	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	5	5	12	47

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

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 43 (better than 43% compared with alternatives), Watches of Switzerland Group 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 Watches of Switzerland Group. Sales Growth has a rank of 82 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 82% of its competitors. Capital Growth is also above 15% of competitors with a rank of 81. But Profit Growth only has a rank of 15, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 85% of its competitors. And Stock Returns have also been below average with a rank of only 14. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 43, 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	74	80	91	82
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	n/a	71	39	15
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	39	45	81
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	94	100	40	14
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	94	93	53	43

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

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 81 (better than 81% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Watches of Switzerland Group has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Watches of Switzerland Group 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 Watches of Switzerland Group. Refinancing is at 72, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 72% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 81, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 81% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 38, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 62% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 81 (better than 81% compared with alternatives), Watches of Switzerland Group has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. This is not bad if things go well. The higher debt level means better returns to shareholders if things go well. Many top-performing companies operate with higher debt levels, and Watches of Switzerland Group could be in that group. But if you expect the environment to turn rougher, the higher leverage could become a problem. The same is valid if you expect interest rates to rise. That could squeeze shareholder returns, which so far have benefitted from better conditions. In the long-term, investors may have a debt challenge with Watches of Switzerland Group 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	34	30	39	38
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	52	39	50	72
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	51	60	73	81
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	42	32	54	81

Last update of Safety Rank: 18-Apr-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Watches of Switzerland Group 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	86	78	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	26	11	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	8	74	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	84	81	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	59	70	^new

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