Read This to Understand Builders FirstSource (BLDR)

Builders FirstSource shares fell by -8.4% during the day's afternoon session, and are now trading at a price of $136.24. Is it time to buy the dip? To better answer that question, it's essential to check if the market is valuing the company's shares fairly in terms of its earnings and equity levels.

A Very Low P/E Ratio but Trades Above Its Graham Number:

Builders FirstSource, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and supplies building materials, manufactured components, and construction services to professional homebuilders, sub-contractors, remodelers, and consumers in the United States. The company belongs to the Consumer Discretionary sector, which has an average price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.33 and an average price to book (P/B) ratio of 3.12. In contrast, Builders FirstSource has a trailing 12 month P/E ratio of 10.1 and a P/B ratio of 3.92.

When we divide Builders FirstSource's P/E ratio by its expected EPS growth rate of the next five years, we obtain its PEG ratio of -1.12. Since it's negative, the company has negative growth expectations, and most investors will probably avoid the stock unless it has an exceptionally low P/E and P/B ratio.

The Business Has Weak Operating Margins:

2018-03-01 2019-03-01 2020-02-21 2021-02-26 2022-03-01 2023-02-28
Revenue (MM) $7,034 $7,725 $7,280 $8,559 $19,894 $22,726
Gross Margins 25.0% 25.0% 27.0% 26.0% 28.0% 34.0%
Operating Margins 4% 5% 5% 6% 12% 17%
Net Margins 1.0% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% 9.0% 12.0%
Net Income (MM) $39 $205 $222 $314 $1,725 $2,749
Net Interest Expense (MM) -$193 -$108 -$110 -$136 -$136 -$198
Depreciation & Amort. (MM) -$93 -$98 -$100 -$117 -$547 -$497
Earnings Per Share $0.34 $1.76 $1.9 $2.66 $8.39 $16.82
EPS Growth n/a 417.65% 7.95% 40.0% 215.41% 100.48%
Diluted Shares (MM) 116 117 117 118 206 163
Free Cash Flow (MM) $238 $379 $610 $364 $1,958 $3,929
Capital Expenditures (MM) -$59 -$97 -$106 -$104 -$214 -$329
Net Current Assets (MM) -$1,234 -$962 -$1,118 -$797 -$1,944 -$2,135
Long Term Debt (MM) $1,772 $1,546 $1,277 $1,597 $2,926 $2,978
Net Debt / EBITDA 4.57 3.32 2.59 1.82 0.98 0.68

Builders FirstSource has weak revenue growth and a flat capital expenditure trend, irregular cash flows, and a decent current ratio. We also note that the company benefits from exceptional EPS growth and healthy leverage. However, the firm suffers from slimmer gross margins than its peers and weak operating margins with a positive growth rate.

The above analysis is intended for educational purposes only and was performed on the basis of publicly available data. It is not to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any buy, sell, or other recommendations mentioned in the article are direct quotations of consensus recommendations from the analysts covering the stock, and do not represent the opinions of Market Inference or its writers. Past performance, accounting data, and inferences about market position and corporate valuation are not reliable indicators of future price movements. Market Inference does not provide financial advice. Investors should conduct their own review and analysis of any company of interest before making an investment decision.

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