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Volkswagen Fair Value Estimation
In our opinion, the market has been overly punitive in assessing technology spending and costs from the diesel emission scandal and the EC collusion charges. Even though the worst of the cheating scandal is over in the U.S., we maintain a EUR 20 billion reduction to our enterprise value for potential litigation in Europe. If we remove the EUR 20 billion EV haircut, our FVE would be EUR 280.
Our fair value includes margin contraction from higher spending for industry-disruptive technologies, including mobility, autonomy, and electrification. In 2018, VW achieved a 7.2% EBIT margin (excluding China JV equity income). The historical 10-year high is 7.4% (2017). We assume average EBIT margin of 6.1% during our five-year forecast, with a midcycle assumption of 4.9%, 120 basis points below the historical 10-year median of 6.1%.
Diesel collusion allegations: We estimate that if Volkswagen’s worst-case fine of EUR 23.6 billion were to be levied, our fair value would drop to EUR 188 from EUR 238. In this scenario, under current trading conditions, Volkswagen stock would be rated 3 stars, with the market at a 10% discount
Volkswagen AG manufactures and sells automobiles primarily in Europe, North America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates in four segments: Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Power Engineering, and Financial Services. The Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles segment develops vehicles and engines, and light commercial vehicles; and produces and sells passenger cars and related parts. The Commercial Vehicles segment develops, produces, and sells trucks and buses; and offers parts and related services. The Power Engineering segment offers large-bore diesel engines, turbomachinery, special gear units, and propulsion components. The Financial Services segment provides dealer and customer financing, leasing, banking and insurance, fleet management, and mobility services. The company also offers motorcycles. It provides its products under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, ÂKODA, SEAT, Bentley, Porsche, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, MAN, Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bugatti brands. Volkswagen AG was incorporated in 1937 and is based in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen AG operates as a subsidiary of Porsche Automobil Holding SE.
General Advice Warning
Any advice/ information provided is general in nature only and does not take into account the personal financial situation, objectives or needs of any particular person.
Rosenberg Equities, the quantitative unit of AXA Investment Managers, manages this strategy and has a long history of systematic and factor-based investing. CIO Gideon Smith leads this strategy and is supported by large securities and ESG research teams, internally and from the wider AXA IM stable. The team undertakes consistent research with slow incremental improvements, rather than the frequent tinkering of typical quantitative strategies. We think this line-up is well-resourced for the approach taken. Incoming CEO Paul Flavier has added some structure with Rosenberg as the broader AXA IM group continues to reshape itself with numerous reshuffles, both in personnel and operationally, over the past few years including its ESG operation. At this stage, it appears these changes have not seeped into Rosenberg which does not appear to have incurred any negative impacts.
We are comforted by the depth and well-documented process at Rosenberg but are watchful of the impact of the parent and its requirements of its subsidiaries. Using the MSCI World Index, this fund ranks each stock based on low volatility and quality factors. The shop seeks diversity by reducing mega-cap exposure using a proprietary weighting mechanism to give a slightly higher small- and mid-cap bias. Rosenberg also applies a machine learning tail risk filter to avoid negative surprises. Finally, although not an afterthought, an ESG component is applied which excludes certain industries entirely and then over- or underweights the remaining 300-600 stocks based on their qualitative ESG scores.
Performance asymmetry has been strong since the inception of the strategy in 2013 with index beating returns coupled with an attractive 80% downside capture ratio, which has become even lower during recent stressed periods. The rally of low-quality, high-volatility stocks in late 2020 was hurtful but Rosenberg’s approach over the long term offers a simple yet effective systematic approach to global equities with significant ESG considerations.
General Advice Warning
Any advice/ information provided is general in nature only and does not take into account the personal financial situation, objectives or needs of any particular person.
× We also believe the market has discounted the stock for higher investment needed in industry disruptive technologies, including mobility services, autonomy, and powertrain electrification, which our fair value already takes into consideration.
× During the past 10 years, Daimler’s EBIT margin has had a high, low, and median of 8.8% (2016), negative 2.9% (2009), and 6.9%. We model Stage I peak EBIT margin at 7.0%, which represents a 180-basis-point contraction from the 10-year high.
× Our margin assumptions decline in the last two years of our Stage I to our normalized sustainable midcycle assumption of 5.9% in year five. Our midcycle assumption represents a 100-basis-point contraction versus Daimler’s 10-year 6.9% historical median.
× Despite our assumptions for significant margin pressure, our DCF model still generates a EUR 85 fair value estimate that represents 63% upside to the EUR 52 consensus price target and 74% upside potential versus the current market valuation.
For over 100 years, Daimler shares have been the investment in the inventors of the automobile. Based on the expected market development and the current assessments of the divisions, Daimler continues to anticipate Group unit sales, revenues and EBIT in 2021 to be significantly above the prior year’s level. The current worldwide supply shortage in certain semiconductor components affected deliveries in the first quarter. Daimler anticipates that this shortage could further impact sales in the second quarter. Although visibility is limited at present, Daimler assumes some recovery in the third and fourth quarter.
General Advice Warning
Any advice/ information provided is general in nature only and does not take into account the personal financial situation, objectives or needs of any particular person.