Stock Valuation: Japan Tobacco Inc (2914)

Name of Company Country of Origin/ Exchange Traded Sector Stock Price
JAPAN TOBACCO INC Japan/
TSE
Consumer Defensive – Tobacco Products – Tobacco JPY3149.00
@ 30 Jul 2018
COMPANY PROFILE Japan Tobacco Inc and its subsidiaries are engaged in the tobacco manufacturing. Its business segments are Domestic Tobacco Business, International Tobacco Business, Pharmaceutical Business, and Processed Food Business.

Japan Tobacco Inc is the third- largest tobacco company globally and owns a rich brand portfolio including Winston (non-U.S.), Camel (non-U.S.), and Mevius. The tobacco business contributes 90% of group sales and nearly all profits, with more than half generated by JTI, the overseas tobacco arm. JTI was created through the acquisition of R.J. Reynold’s non-U.S. operations in 1999 and further expanded through multiple acquisitions, of which the purchase of Gallaher in 2007 was the most notable, doubling JTI’s sales. Pharmaceutical and processed food operations are the other businesses.

Stock Code 2914
Valuation Analysis Below

Japan Tobacco PE

The Price Earnings (PE) Ratio is the most frequently used valuation indicator for a stock. However, there are times when this ratio cannot be used e.g. when the company reports a loss or profit is so minimal that it results in an abnormally high PE Ratio. Or Net Profit After Tax may be volatile and it is better to use Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) to value the company. We use the PE Band or Market Cap/EBIT Band to show whether a stock is overvalued or undervalued based on its historical valuation.
At the price of JPY3149.00 as at 30 Jul 2018, Japan Tobacco Inc is trading at a PE Ratio of 14.3 times last 12 months earnings.  This is a 14.4% discount to its historical average Price to Earnings Ratio of 16.7 times. (Price based on the historical average PE of the company is indicated by the red line.)
Is the stock undervalued? One should not just look at one indicator to determine the fair value of a stock.
ProThinker believes in using a combination of valuation methods to decide whether a stock is over or undervalued? The five ratios we use are Price to Earnings, Price to Sales, Price to Cash Flow, Price to Book and Dividend Yield. We use multiple methods to value a stock because each has its benefits as well as shortcomings. Price to Earnings and Price to Cash Flow Ratios relate stock price to profitability but are meaningless when the comany has negative earnings or cash flows. Price to Sales Ratio is more stable because sales are never negative. However, this does not tell us whether the company is able to sell profitably. Price to Book Ratio gives us an indication as to how much we are paying for the company’s assets but it is not directly related to the company’s profitability. Dividend Yield cannot be used for companies that are paying little to no dividends.
While it is important to value stocks based on multiple valuation methods, this often leads to differing views on valuation. One indicator may suggest that a stock is overvalued while another suggest that it is undervalued. This does not help an investor who needs to make a definite decision whether to buy, hold or sell the stock. That is why we advocate the use of a Composite Valuation Indicator, which is derived from the best combination of the five indicators above. A Composite Valuation Indicator will give you ONE conclusion on whether a stock is under or over valued.
To find out more about our valuation methodology, click here. 
Source of Data: Charts are from ProThinker Stock Report. Company description, historical financial statements data and price data are from gurufocus.com. Estimates are from gurufocus and/or 4-traders.com – Thomson Reuters.
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