A Look At The Intrinsic Value Of Keymed Biosciences Inc. (HKG:2162)

Key Insights

• Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Keymed Biosciences fair value estimate is HK$53.89
• Current share price of HK$56.00 suggests Keymed Biosciences is potentially trading close to its fair value
• Our fair value estimate is 28% lower than Keymed Biosciences' analyst price target of CN¥75.27

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Keymed Biosciences Inc. (HKG:2162) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Keymed Biosciences

The Model

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033
Levered FCF (CN¥, Millions)	-CN¥638.3m	-CN¥599.8m	-CN¥314.3m	CN¥312.1m	CN¥461.0m	CN¥617.7m	CN¥768.4m	CN¥904.2m	CN¥1.02b	CN¥1.12b
Growth Rate Estimate Source	Analyst x4	Analyst x4	Analyst x3	Analyst x3	Est @ 47.73%	Est @ 34.00%	Est @ 24.39%	Est @ 17.67%	Est @ 12.96%	Est @ 9.66%
Present Value (CN¥, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8%	-CN¥598	-CN¥526	-CN¥258	CN¥240	CN¥331	CN¥416	CN¥484	CN¥533	CN¥564	CN¥579

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CN¥1.8b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF₂₀₃₃ × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = CN¥1.1b× (1 + 2.0%) ÷ (6.8%– 2.0%) = CN¥24b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)¹⁰= CN¥24b÷ ( 1 + 6.8%)¹⁰= CN¥12b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is CN¥14b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of HK$56.0, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Keymed Biosciences as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Keymed Biosciences

Looking Ahead:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Keymed Biosciences, we've compiled three further elements you should explore:

1. Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Keymed Biosciences (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
2. Future Earnings: How does 2162's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart.
3. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Hong Kong stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

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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.