Moderated By: Q -- (Not Moderated) -- Started: 9/10/1998 7:42:00 AM Revision History
This thread is devoted to stocks of debt-free companies that are
valued so cheaply that the market cap is comparable to the cash on
the balance sheet.
Here cash is defined as cash plus cash equivalents, including
marketable securities.
While there's no limit to how low a price/earnings, price/sales, or
even price/book ratio can fall, the cash represents a firm floor for
a stock price. It's difficult for a stock to trade way below cash,
because it would be too easy a takeover target. Moreover, the co.
is likely highly motivated to buy back its own shares.
Today, in the midst of a bear market when the Russell 2000 has fallen
23% from its peak, there are a number of small stocks trading near,
and even below, their cash levels. These are extremely out-of-favor
stocks. Typically the stock has been driven down because the business
is a mfg. co. in a cyclical downturn or suffering other fundamental
problems, yet the balance sheet is so strong that the co. is in no
risk whatever of failing. Moreover, you can buy the co. for almost
nothing, since the cash is comparable to the market cap.
Here's a list of low p/cash debt-free stocks today, based on the latest 10Q.
I've limited the list to stocks with a price > $3 and a market cap > $30 M.
symbol price market cap cash price/cash cash/rev business
CPCI 6 3/4 $33.3 M $35.6 M 0.93 3.3 Q RAID disk drives
CNXS 3 13/16 $70.0 M $66.4 M 1.05 5.5 Q anti-snore nose strips
ANET 5 1/2 $50.4 M $46.0 M 1.10 3.9 Q frame-relay WAN equip
KNTK 6 3/8 $45.3 M $40.7 M 1.11 3.4 Q laser printers
MTSN 3 1/8 $45.9 M $40.3 M 1.14 2.6 Q semi mfg equip |
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