Vopak moving into ammonia. Stock Price and Graham Value

"With over 20 years of ammonia storage experience, Vopak has extensive knowledge on safe handling and storage of ammonia to facilitate the development of large-scale ammonia import, storage and distribution infrastructures. Currently, Vopak has  ammonia storage operations in China, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia and in the US. Most recently in the United States, Vopak and its global partners are collaborating on the pre-FEED for the development of a large-scale, low-carbon ammonia production and export project on the Houston Ship Channel."

Benjamin Graham analysis:

SECTOR: [PASS]  Vopak is neither a technology nor financial Company, and therefore this methodology is applicable. 

SALES: [PASS] The investor must select companies of "adequate size". This includes companies with annual sales greater than €260 million. Vopak's sales of €1 431 million, based on 2022 sales, pass this test.

CURRENT RATIO: [FAIL] The current ratio must be greater than or equal to 2. Companies that meet this criterion are typically financially secure and defensive. Vopak's current ratio €521m/€1 163m of 0.4 fails the test.

LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: [FAIL] For industrial companies, long-term debt must not exceed net current assets (current assets minus current liabilities). Companies that do not meet this criterion lack the financial stability that this methodology likes to see. The long-term debt for Vopak is €2 690 million, while the net current assets are € negative. Vopak fails this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [PASS] [FAIL] Companies must increase their EPS by at least 30% over a ten-year period and EPS must not have been negative for any year within the last 5 years. Companies with this type of growth tend to be financially secure and have proven themselves over time. Vopak's Earnings had been increasing recently in 2019, but haven't increased 30% over 10 years. 

EARNINGS YIELD:  [PASS]  The Earnings/Price (inverse P/E) %, based on the lesser of the current Earnings Yield or the Yield using average earnings over the last 3 fiscal years, must be "acceptable", which this methodology states is greater than 6,5%. Stocks with higher earnings yields are more defensive by nature. Vopak's E/P of 6.5% (using last 3 years earnings) passes this test.

Graham Number value: [PASS] The Price/Book ratio must also be reasonable. That is the Graham number value must be greater than the market price. Vopak has a Graham number of √(15 x €2.1 EPS x €22 Book Value) = €32 and passes this test.

DIVIDEND €1,30 /€30 = 4% (dividend has been increasing)