Stock Valuation
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The actual price of a stock is determined by market activity. When making the decision to buy or sell, the investor will often compare a stock’s actual price to its fair value. For example, if a stock is trading at $30 per share and its fair value is $35, it may be worth purchasing. Conversely, if it trades at $30 but its fair value is $25, the stock would be considered overvalued and the investor would be wise to avoid it. What is a stock’s fair value and how do you calculate it? Ideally, it would be based on some standardized formula. However, there are many ways to derive this figure. One method is to combine the value of a company’s assets on its balance sheet, minus depreciation and liabilities. Another is to determine its intrinsic value, which is the net present value of a company’s future earnings. We have briefly discussed two methods. There are a number of others. Because the methods yield a slightly different result, it’s sometimes difficult to know if a stock is overvalued, undervalued, or fairly valued. And even if it is overvalued, that doesn’t mean investors will suddenly sell and the price will fall.
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The actual price of a stock is determined by market activity. When making the decision to buy or sell, the investor will often compare a stock’s actual price to its fair value. For example, if a stock is trading at $30 per share and its fair value is $35, it may be worth purchasing. Conversely, if it trades at $30 but its fair value is $25, the stock would be considered overvalued and the investor would be wise to avoid it. What is a stock’s fair value and how do you calculate it? Ideally, it would be based on some standardized formula. However, there are many ways to derive this figure. One method is to combine the value of a company’s assets on its balance sheet, minus depreciation and liabilities. Another is to determine its intrinsic value, which is the net present value of a company’s future earnings. We have briefly discussed two methods. There are a number of others. Because the methods yield a slightly different result, it’s sometimes difficult to know if a stock is overvalued, undervalued, or fairly valued. And even if it is overvalued, that doesn’t mean investors will suddenly sell and the price will fall.
