Lesson 418 min

Complete Company Analysis - Case Study

Apply all financial ratio concepts in a comprehensive real-world company analysis.

Learning Objectives

  • Apply systematic ratio analysis to a real company
  • Integrate valuation, profitability, and financial strength metrics
  • Draw investment conclusions from ratio analysis
  • Identify strengths, weaknesses, and key questions

Complete Company Analysis - Case Study#

Let's put everything together with a comprehensive ratio analysis. We'll analyze a fictional but realistic company, "TechMed Solutions," a healthcare technology company, using the framework and ratios learned throughout this course.

Case Study Company: TechMed Solutions

  • Industry: Healthcare Technology (SaaS)
  • Market Cap: $8.5 billion
  • Stock Price: $85
  • Business: Cloud-based electronic health records and practice management software

Step 1: Gather Key Data#

Income Statement Data (Latest Year)#

ItemAmount
Revenue$1,200M
Cost of Revenue$360M
Gross Profit$840M
Operating Expenses$600M
Operating Income$240M
Interest Expense$25M
Pre-tax Income$215M
Net Income$170M
Shares Outstanding100M

Balance Sheet Data#

ItemAmount
Cash$400M
Accounts Receivable$180M
Total Current Assets$620M
Total Assets$2,000M
Accounts Payable$90M
Current Liabilities$280M
Long-term Debt$500M
Total Liabilities$880M
Shareholders' Equity$1,120M

Cash Flow Data#

ItemAmount
Operating Cash Flow$280M
Capital Expenditures$80M
Free Cash Flow$200M

Additional Data#

MetricValue
Prior Year Revenue$960M
Prior Year EPS$1.40
Annual Dividend$0.50
5-Year Avg ROE14%

Step 2: Calculate Key Ratios#

Valuation Ratios#

RatioCalculationResult
EPS$170M / 100M$1.70
P/E Ratio$85 / $1.7050x
P/B Ratio$8,500M / $1,120M7.6x
P/S Ratio$8,500M / $1,200M7.1x
EV$8,500M + $500M - $400M$8,600M
EV/Revenue$8,600M / $1,200M7.2x
EV/EBITDA$8,600M / $320M*26.9x
P/FCF$8,500M / $200M42.5x
FCF Yield$200M / $8,500M2.4%

*EBITDA estimated as Operating Income + $80M D&A

Profitability Ratios#

RatioCalculationResult
Gross Margin$840M / $1,200M70%
Operating Margin$240M / $1,200M20%
Net Margin$170M / $1,200M14.2%
ROE$170M / $1,120M15.2%
ROA$170M / $2,000M8.5%

Financial Strength Ratios#

RatioCalculationResult
Current Ratio$620M / $280M2.2x
Quick Ratio($620M - $40M) / $280M2.1x
Debt/Equity$500M / $1,120M0.45x
Interest Coverage$240M / $25M9.6x
Debt/EBITDA$500M / $320M1.6x

Efficiency & Growth Ratios#

RatioCalculationResult
Asset Turnover$1,200M / $2,000M0.6x
Revenue Growth($1,200M - $960M) / $960M25%
EPS Growth($1.70 - $1.40) / $1.4021.4%
Rule of 4025% + 20%45%
FCF Conversion$200M / $170M118%

Dividend Ratios#

RatioCalculationResult
Dividend Yield$0.50 / $850.6%
Payout Ratio$0.50 / $1.7029%
FCF Coverage$200M / $50M4.0x

Step 3: Industry Comparison#

TechMed vs. Healthcare IT Peers#

MetricTechMedPeer AvgIndustry
Revenue Growth25%18%15%
Gross Margin70%68%65%
Operating Margin20%18%16%
ROE15.2%14%13%
D/E0.45x0.55x0.5x
P/E50x45x40x
EV/Revenue7.2x6.5x5.5x

Observations:

  • Above-average growth and margins
  • Slightly premium valuation vs. peers
  • Conservative capital structure
  • Strong competitive position

Step 4: Trend Analysis#

5-Year Trend#

YearRevenueNet MarginROED/E
2020$600M10%12%0.6
2021$720M11%13%0.55
2022$850M12%13.5%0.5
2023$960M13%14%0.48
2024$1,200M14.2%15.2%0.45

Trend Assessment:

  • ✅ Revenue: Strong, consistent growth (CAGR: 19%)
  • ✅ Net Margin: Steadily improving (scale benefits)
  • ✅ ROE: Consistently improving
  • ✅ D/E: Declining (strengthening balance sheet)

All trends positive—excellent execution.

Step 5: Integrated Assessment#

Strengths#

StrengthEvidence
Strong growth25% revenue growth, above peers
High-quality SaaS model70% gross margin
Improving profitabilityMargins expanding yearly
Conservative balance sheetD/E 0.45x, Interest Coverage 9.6x
Excellent FCF conversion118% of net income
Passes Rule of 4045% (25% growth + 20% margin)

Concerns#

ConcernEvidenceSeverity
Premium valuationP/E 50x vs. 40x industryMedium
Low dividend yield0.6%Low (growth focus)
Customer concentration?Need to checkUnknown
Competitive moat?Need qualitative analysisUnknown

Key Questions for Further Research#

  1. Revenue quality: What is net revenue retention? Are customers expanding?
  2. Competitive position: Market share trend? Competitive threats?
  3. Customer concentration: Top 10 customers as % of revenue?
  4. Management: Insider ownership? Track record?
  5. Growth runway: Total addressable market vs. current penetration?

Step 6: Valuation Assessment#

Is the Valuation Justified?#

FactorAssessment
Growth premium25% growth justifies some premium over industry
Margin trajectoryImproving margins support higher multiple
Financial strengthNo debt risk discount needed
Quality of earningsFCF conversion excellent
Industry positionLeader justifies premium

PEG Analysis#

MetricCalculationResult
P/E50x
EPS Growth21.4%
PEG Ratio50 / 21.42.3x

PEG of 2.3x is above the typical 1.0-2.0 "fair" range, suggesting the stock is priced optimistically.

Reverse DCF Implied Growth#

At current valuation, the market expects approximately 20%+ annual earnings growth for 5+ years. Is this achievable?

  • TAM must be large enough
  • Competitive position must hold
  • Margin expansion must continue

Step 7: Investment Conclusion#

Summary Scorecard#

CategoryRatingNotes
Valuation⭐⭐⭐Premium, but possibly justified
Profitability⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent and improving
Financial Strength⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Very strong
Efficiency⭐⭐⭐⭐Good for software
Growth⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent

Investment Thesis#

TechMed Solutions is a high-quality healthcare IT company with:

  • Strong competitive position (above-peer metrics)
  • Excellent growth trajectory (25% revenue growth)
  • Improving profitability (margins expanding)
  • Conservative balance sheet (D/E 0.45x)
  • Superior FCF generation (118% conversion)

However:

  • Valuation is premium (P/E 50x, PEG 2.3x)
  • Market expectations are high (20%+ growth priced in)
  • Any growth disappointment could hit the stock hard

Conclusion: High-quality company at a full valuation. Suitable for growth-oriented investors willing to pay for quality. Value investors should wait for a better entry point. Add to watchlist; consider buying on 15-20% pullback.

Analysis Framework Recap

This case study followed the systematic approach:

  1. Gather data (IS, BS, CF)
  2. Calculate ratios (Valuation, Profitability, Strength, Efficiency, Growth)
  3. Compare to peers and industry
  4. Analyze trends
  5. Integrate assessment
  6. Evaluate valuation
  7. Draw conclusions

Key Takeaways

  • Systematic analysis covers: Valuation → Profitability → Financial Strength → Efficiency → Growth
  • Compare ratios to peers, industry medians, and company's own history
  • Trend direction matters as much as absolute levels
  • Quality companies can justify premium valuations—but quantify expectations
  • PEG ratio helps assess growth-adjusted valuation
  • Always identify key questions for further research
  • Investment conclusions should synthesize all ratio categories
  • High quality at high prices may be less attractive than good quality at fair prices