If you hold shares of Henkel KGaA or are considering taking the plunge, you are certainly not alone in asking whether now is the right time to act. The stock market likes to keep us all on our toes, and lately, Henkel KGaA has provided plenty to discuss. After a slight climb of 1.0% over the past week, the share price remains down 3.9% for the month, and a notable 16.3% in the red since the start of the year. Even when you zoom out, the picture is mixed, with the past year showing an 11.7% loss, yet returns over three years boast a solid 24.0% gain. This gives way to a 15.0% decline when stretched to five years. Such a patchwork of returns naturally leaves investors wondering whether the recent volatility is a signal of renewed growth potential or simply a reflection of changing risk perceptions in the consumer goods sector.
Part of what is fueling this conversation is Henkel's current valuation score, which comes in at 5 out of 6. This means the company appears undervalued by most key measures. That has grabbed the attention of value-focused investors who see the score as a green flag for further research. In the coming sections, we will break down exactly how Henkel fares under different valuation methods so you can make your own informed call. Stay tuned for an approach that digs even deeper than the usual metrics to reveal what might truly set Henkel's valuation apart.
Why Henkel KGaA is lagging behind its peers
Approach 1: Henkel KGaA Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
A Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model estimates a company's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting those back to today's value. The idea is to gauge what Henkel KGaA’s ongoing business is fundamentally worth based on the cash it can generate in the years ahead.
Henkel KGaA’s most recent reported Free Cash Flow (FCF) is €2.13 billion. For the next few years, analysts expect modest growth, with projected FCF reaching €2.37 billion by 2029. While specific analyst forecasts typically extend only five years, further projections are extrapolated, showing FCF steadily climbing towards €2.67 billion by 2035.
Applying the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity model, these projections are discounted back to the present to calculate an intrinsic value per share. The model estimates Henkel KGaA’s fair value at €168.53 per share. Given the current share price, this suggests the stock is trading at a substantial 58.7% discount to its fair value.
Result: UNDERVALUED
Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Henkel KGaA is undervalued by 58.7%. Track this in your watchlist or portfolio, or discover more undervalued stocks.
Approach 2: Henkel KGaA Price vs Earnings
When evaluating profitable companies like Henkel KGaA, the Price-to-Earnings (PE) ratio is a widely trusted metric. The PE ratio tells us how much investors are willing to pay today for each euro of earnings, offering a quick gauge of both value and growth expectations.
A higher PE typically reflects optimism about future growth or confidence in stability. In contrast, a lower PE may indicate perceived risks or slower growth ahead. For Henkel KGaA, the current PE ratio stands at 13.7x. This is well below the Household Products industry average of 18.8x and even further below the average for Henkel's direct peers, which is 27.6x.
Simply Wall St introduces the concept of the “Fair Ratio,” which in this case is 17.0x. Unlike the basic peer or industry comparisons, the Fair Ratio takes into account Henkel’s specific growth outlook, profit margins, risk profile, industry landscape, and market capitalization. This provides a more nuanced benchmark to gauge whether the stock’s multiple is truly justified for the business today.
Comparing Henkel’s actual PE of 13.7x with the Fair Ratio of 17.0x shows that the stock is being valued at a meaningful discount to what would be considered fair given its fundamentals and industry outlook.
Result: UNDERVALUED
PE ratios tell one story, but what if the real opportunity lies elsewhere? Discover companies where insiders are betting big on explosive growth.
Upgrade Your Decision Making: Choose your Henkel KGaA Narrative
Earlier, we mentioned there is an even better way to understand valuation, so let's introduce you to Narratives. A Narrative is a simple yet powerful concept: it's your personal story about a company, connecting what you believe about Henkel KGaA's future to numbers, such as your own forecasts for its revenue, earnings, and fair value. Narratives make your investment view explicit, showing how a specific outlook on Henkel, for example, whether it gains from sustainable innovation or faces risks from global competition, translates directly into forecasts and a fair value estimate. On Simply Wall St’s Community page, Narratives are easy to create and follow, making the decision to buy or sell far more transparent as you compare Fair Value to the current Price. In addition, they update automatically when new news or earnings data arrives, saving you from endless recalculations. With Henkel KGaA, you’ll see how users can tell very different stories: the most optimistic Narrative today sees fair value at €95.00, while the most cautious pegs it at €72.00. Narratives help you test, refine, and share your perspective, putting you in control of your investment decision and ensuring it’s truly anchored to real assumptions.
Do you think there's more to the story for Henkel KGaA? Create your own Narrative to let the Community know!
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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