Enterprise Value is often cited as
a better measure of valuation than Market Capitalization.
Book value is considered
a better measure of valuation than earnings by many investors including legendary investor Martin Whitman.
This is
the best measure of valuation that I have found so far.
Not exact matches
Our long - term forecasts are based on our assessment
of current
valuation measures, economic growth and inflation prospects, as
well as historical risk premiums.
While a number
of simple
measures of valuation have also been useful over the years, even metrics such as price - to - peak earnings have been skewed by the unusual profit margins we observed at the 2007 peak, which were about 50 % above the historical norm - reflecting the combination
of booming and highly leveraged financial sector profits as
well as wide margins in cyclical and commodity - oriented industries.
There will always be conceptual issues with any single
valuation measure, so the
best we can do is evaluate
valuations from the standpoint
of multiple historically reliable approaches.
As always, the
best opportunities are likely to emerge when a material retreat in
valuations is joined by an early improvement in our
measures of market action (which, following our stress - testing earlier in this half - cycle, are robust to every market cycle we've observed across history).
At Berkshire Hathaway's recent annual shareholders meeting, an investor asked Buffett about the relevance
of two popular
measures of stock market value: 1) market cap - to - GDP, which Buffett once heralded as «probably the
best single
measure of where
valuations stand at any given moment» and 2) the cyclically - adjusted price - earnings ratio (CAPE), which was made famous by Nobel prize winner Robert Shiller and was seen as accurately predicting the dot - com bubble and the housing bubble.
The most reliable
measures of individual stock
valuation we've found are based on formal discounted cash flow considerations, but among publicly - available
measures we've evaluated, price / revenue ratios are
better correlated with actual subsequent returns than price / earnings ratios (though normalized profit margins and other factors are obviously necessary to make cross-sectional comparisons).
Despite my admitted stumble in the half - cycle since 2009, it's perplexing that the equity market is at the second greatest
valuation extreme in the history
of the United States, on what are objectively the most durably reliable
valuation measures available, but it has somehow become an affront to suggest that this will not end
well.
ROIC is the
best measure of corporate performance and has the most direct link to
valuation.
As usual, I don't place too much emphasis on this sort
of forecast, but to the extent that I make any comments at all about the outlook for 2006, the bottom line is this: 1) we can't rule out modest potential for stock appreciation, which would require the maintenance or expansion
of already high price / peak earnings multiples; 2) we also should recognize an uncomfortably large potential for market losses, particularly given that the current bull market has now outlived the median and average bull, yet at higher
valuations than most bulls have achieved, a flat yield curve with rising interest rate pressures, an extended period
of internal divergence as
measured by breadth and other market action, and complacency at
best and excessive bullishness at worst, as
measured by various sentiment indicators; 3) there is a moderate but still not compelling risk
of an oncoming recession, which would become more
of a factor if we observe a substantial widening
of credit spreads and weakness in the ISM Purchasing Managers Index in the months ahead, and; 4) there remains substantial potential for U.S. dollar weakness coupled with «unexpectedly» persistent inflation pressures, particularly if we do observe economic weakness.
For example, our effort to carefully account for the impact
of foreign revenues, and to create an apples - to - apples
measure of general equity
valuation led us to introduce MarketCap / GVA, which is
better correlated with actual subsequent 10 - 12 year market returns than any
of scores
of measures we've studied.
That's fine, but understand that through most
of the period prior to the 1960's, interest rates regularly visited levels similar to the present, yet these same
measures of stock
valuations typically resided at
well below half
of present levels.
Instead, they've run their finances conservatively enough that they can sit on depressed
valuations for years at a time, knowing that they are still earning a
good rate
of return when
measured as the cash flow that belongs to them relative to the price they paid for their ownership stake.
Undoubtedly, the
best outcome would be a strong improvement in
valuations, followed by signs
of improvement in our
measures of market action, which is the typical sequence
of events that complete a market cycle and can launch a very favorable investment environment.
The current
valuation of the S&P 500 is lofty by almost any
measure, both for the aggregate market as
well as the median stock: (1) The P / E ratio; (2) the current P / E expansion cycle; (3) EV / Sales; (4) EV / EBITDA; (5) Free Cash Flow yield; (6) Price / Book as
well as the ROE and P / B relationship; and compared with the levels
of (6) inflation; (7) nominal 10 - year Treasury yields; and (8) real interest rates.
As
of last week, the Market Climate for stocks was characterized by unusually unfavorable
valuations and unfavorable market action (a deterioration from the prior week, primarily on the basis
of interest - sensitive securities such as bonds and utilities, as
well as
measures of breadth and distribution).
Of particular interest are a host of debt and financing measures as well as overheated stock - market valuation
Of particular interest are a host
of debt and financing measures as well as overheated stock - market valuation
of debt and financing
measures as
well as overheated stock - market
valuations.
Since no such sharing is possible, economists must eschew any
valuation other than that
of favoring an increase in overall
well - being as
measured by overall income.
As details emerge
of the
measures Coutinho took to push through his Nou Camp transfer — committing # 11.5 million
of his own cash to meet Liverpool's
valuation — his former club are considering how
best to move on from his loss.
Undoubtedly, the
best outcome would be a strong improvement in
valuations, followed by signs
of improvement in our
measures of market action, which is the typical sequence
of events that complete a market cycle and can launch a very favorable investment environment.
His
measure of valuation P / E10, which is the
best that I have found so far, is still at 1929 levels, around 27.
There are several
good choices for the
measure of valuation.
On long - term
measures of value (for example, Graham's 10 - year trailing P / E ratio and corporate profits as a proportion
of GDP) market prices are
well below average and approaching all time lows (See Future Blind «s post Market
Valuation Charts prepared in October last year when the S&P 500 was around 1160).
In 2001, the Oracle
of Omaha dubbed it as ``... the
best single
measure of where
valuations stand at any given moment.»
[I have found Professor Robert Shiller's P / E10 to be the
best single
measure of valuation so far.
Thank goodness the relationship is weak, as current
valuations for low beta stocks are
well into the top decile
of historical experience regardless
of the
valuation measure used.
We observe that P / B - based
valuation does a
better job
of forecasting the return
of the value blend factor, whereas the aggregate
valuation measure does a
better job
of forecasting the return
of the value strategy constructed based on B / P.
I have found Professor Robert Shiller's P / E10 to be the
best single
measure of valuation so far.
As with
valuation measures, there are lots
of sentiment indicators as
well.
Despite my admitted stumble in the half - cycle since 2009, it's perplexing that the equity market is at the second greatest
valuation extreme in the history
of the United States, on what are objectively the most durably reliable
valuation measures available, but it has somehow become an affront to suggest that this will not end
well.
Warren Buffett stated that market capitalization as a percentage
of GDP is «probably the
best single
measure of where
valuations stand at any given moment.»
My point is that there are a variety
of highly predictive, methodologically distinct
measures of market - level
valuation (I used the Shiller PE and Tobin's q, but GNP or GDP - to - total market capitalization below work equally as
well) that point to overvaluation.
The big lesson we learned is that the Monte Carlo method gives a very
good measure of the reliability
of the
valuation arrived at by CAPM.
The
valuation of a property is typically determined by an appraiser, but a
better measure is an arms - length transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller.