LONDON -- In this series, some of your favorite FTSE 100 shares go head to head in a three-round contest for superiority.
In Round 1, the firms fight on earnings; in Round 2, they duke it out on dividends; and Round 3 is a battle of the balance sheets. The winner will be the company that has racked up most points at the end of the contest.
Stepping into the ring today are fashion firms Next
The shares of Next and Burberry have respectively outperformed and underperformed the FTSE 100 over the past three, six, and 12 months. Over the last six months the Footsie is up 2%, but Next has soared 22%, while Burberry has plunged 35%.
Let's take our seats at ringside.
Round 1: Earnings
|
|
Next |
Burberry |
|---|---|---|
| Recent share price (pence) | 3,570 | 1,020 |
| Last-year P/E ratio | 14.1 | 16.2 |
| Current-year forecast P/E | 13 | 15.1 |
| Four-year earnings EPS CAGR | 13% | 18% |
| Current-year forecast EPS growth | 8% | 7% |
| Operating margin | 17% | 20% |
Sources: Digital Look, Morningstar, company reports. CAGR = compound annual growth rate. Winners in bold.
In a close-fought round, Next takes three points, scoring strongly on relative P/E and sneaking the point on forecast earnings growth. Burberry takes two points for superior historic earnings growth and operating margin.
It's worth noting that Burberry's P/E has been considerably higher in the past -- in the 20 to 25 area. The luxury fashion house's recent share-price performance is a good example of what can happen when market expectations of continued high earnings growth moderate to a less dynamic level, such as that seen in the current-year forecast EPS growth.
Round 2: dividends
|
|
Next |
Burberry |
|---|---|---|
| Last-year dividend yield | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Current-year forecast dividend yield | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| Four-year dividend CAGR | 13% | 20% |
| Current-year forecast dividend growth | 11% | 11% |
| Forecast dividend cover | 2.7 | 2.4 |
Sources: Digital Look, Morningstar, company reports. Winners in bold.
The second round is even tighter than the first. There's only one point -- four-year CAGR -- where one of the companies is significantly superior to the other. Burberry takes that point, but Next scores by a narrow margin on forecast yield and cover, while the pair share the spoils on historic yield and forecast growth.
Round 3: Balance sheet
|
|
Next |
Burberry |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-book ratio | 25 | 9 |
| Net gearing | 271% | (39%) |
Sources: Digital Look, Morningstar, company reports. Winners in bold.
Burberry finishes strongly, taking both points in the final round. Next's gearing is very high, while the negative number for Burberry indicates net cash on the balance sheet.
Burberry's strong performance in Round 3 prevents a clean sweep of round wins for Next. However, the companies are all square when it comes to the overall points tally, which is six points apiece.
Post-match assessment
The contrasting share-price performances of the two companies of late have brought their P/E and dividend yields much closer together than they have previously been. Nevertheless, Next remains ahead of Burberry on these ratings.
Next's P/E is broadly in line with the Footsie average, while its well-covered dividend gives a yield below the average. This suggests to me that the company is a fair value at best at the current share price, though it deserves credit for consistent historic and forecast earnings and dividend growth, which are all broadly in lockstep.
Meanwhile, Burberry would be a snip on its current P/E, if it can return to the high-teens earnings growth it has shown in the past and the shares rerate to their previous P/E. However, analysts are forecasting EPS growth of 14% for fiscal 2014 after the current-year forecast of 7%, so perhaps Burberry's current P/E of around 15 is a fair reflection of its prospects.
Investing is by no means easy in today's uncertain world. Some sectors offer investors better opportunities than others, which is why The Motley Fool has published a special free report: "Top Sectors for 2012." Our top analysts not only identify three favorable industries for 2012 and beyond, but also pinpoint one great company in each sector. If you would like "Top Sectors for 2012" dispatched immediately to your inbox, simply click here.
Are you looking to profit as a long-term investor? "10 Steps To Making A Million In The Market" is the Motley Fool's guide to help Britain invest. Better. We urge you to read the report today –while it's still free and available.
Further investment opportunities:
