ASX:CGM Income Statement Sep 12th 17
Could CGM's size and industry cause it to be more volatile?
A market capitalisation of AUD $15.38M puts CGM in the category of small-cap stocks, which tends to possess higher beta than larger companies. Moreover, CGM’s industry, materials, is considered to be cyclical, which means it is more volatile than the market over the economic cycle. As a result, we should expect higher beta for small-cap stocks in a cyclical industry compared to larger stocks in a defensive industry. This is consistent with CGM’s individual beta value we discussed above. Next, we will examine the fundamental factors which can cause cyclicality in the stock.
Can CGM's asset-composition point to a higher beta?
An asset-heavy company tends to have a higher beta because the risk associated with running fixed assets during a downturn is highly expensive. I examine CGM’s ratio of fixed assets to total assets to see whether the company is highly exposed to the risk of this type of constraint. CGM's fixed assets to total assets ratio of higher than 30% shows that the company uses up a big chunk of its capital on assets that are hard to scale up or down in short notice. Thus, we can expect CGM to be more volatile in the face of market movements, relative to its peers of similar size but with a lower proportion of fixed assets on their books. Similarly, CGM’s beta value conveys the same message.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? You could benefit from higher returns from CGM during times of economic growth. Its higher fixed cost isn’t a major concern given margins are covered with high consumer demand. However, in times of a downturn, it may be safe to look at a more defensive stock which can cushion the impact of lower demand.
Are you a potential investor? Before you buy CGM, you should factor how your portfolio currently moves with the wider market, and where we are in the economic cycle. This stock could be an outperformer during times of growth, and it may be worth taking a deeper dive into the fundamentals to crystalize your thoughts on CGM.
Beta is one aspect of your portfolio construction to consider when holding or entering into a stock. But it is certainly not the only factor. Take a look at our most recent infographic report on Cougar Metals NL for a more in-depth analysis of the stock to help you make a well-informed investment decision. But if you are not interested in Cougar Metals NL anymore, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.
To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.
The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.