iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC) Shares Could Be 30% Below Their Intrinsic Value Estimate

Key Insights

• iRhythm Technologies' estimated fair value is US$149 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity
• iRhythm Technologies is estimated to be 30% undervalued based on current share price of US$105
• Our fair value estimate is 26% higher than iRhythm Technologies' analyst price target of US$119

How far off is iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for iRhythm Technologies

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033
Levered FCF ($, Millions)	-US$19.7m	-US$2.00m	US$35.0m	US$81.0m	US$122.9m	US$168.3m	US$212.9m	US$253.8m	US$289.7m	US$320.2m
Growth Rate Estimate Source	Analyst x2	Analyst x1	Analyst x1	Analyst x1	Est @ 51.77%	Est @ 36.91%	Est @ 26.50%	Est @ 19.22%	Est @ 14.12%	Est @ 10.55%
Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8%	-US$18.5	-US$1.8	US$28.7	US$62.2	US$88.4	US$113	US$134	US$150	US$160	US$166

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$882m

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 2.2%. 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) = US$320m× (1 + 2.2%) ÷ (6.8%– 2.2%) = US$7.1b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)¹⁰= US$7.1b÷ ( 1 + 6.8%)¹⁰= US$3.7b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$4.6b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$105, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 30% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

The Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. 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 iRhythm Technologies 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 0.918. 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 iRhythm Technologies

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For iRhythm Technologies, there are three essential elements you should assess:

1. Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for iRhythm Technologies you should know about.
2. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for IRTC's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors.
3. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NASDAQGS every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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.