Another very solid result for PreMedicus.
For the FY21 year revenue was 19.5% stronger to just shy of $68m, with net profit up more than 33% to $30.9m as the business continues to scale well.
The top line has grown at an average pace of almost 20%pa for the last 5 years, while NPAT has grown at a stunning 37% per year (on average). Net margins are not only incredibly high, but have steadily improved (see attached chart) -- NPAT *NET* margin now sits at 46%.
It would have been much stronger than this if it werent for FX movements (revenue and NPAT would have been up 30% and 56%, respectively).
Not only that, but all this growth has been entirely self funded, with no new share issues being issued, or virtually any debt, over the last decade. In fact, PME has over $60m in cash at the bank.
It's even paid a consistent and fast growing dividend along the way. For FY21 it'll pay 15c per share all up, 5x more than it did in FY16.
A record number of new contracts were secured over the period, and the sales pipeline remains very "healthy" according to CEO Sam Hupert.
The Research collaboration agreements with with the Mayo Clinic and NYU Langone Health have yieled an FDA approved AI algo for breast density screening, and there's good growth potential there.
I regard this as one of the best businesses on the ASX. The only issue is price, which is rather "full"
On the latest numbers, shares are trading on a Price to Sales of 86 and a PE of 190.
I've had some very serious regret being too fussy on price in the past, but i'm not tempted to buy any more at these levels.
That being said, given the economics and growth runway, shares could be considered 'fair'. EG. assume 30% NPAT growth for 10 years and assume the business trades on a PE of 35 at that time, and you get a FY31 share price of ~$140. Discount that back by 10%pa to today and you get a valuation of $54 -- roughly where it sits now.
The only trouble here is that even if things go extraordinarily well (30% CAGR in net profit for a decade!), you get a market average rate of return. Anything short of that and you'd get an underperformance. So the phrase priced for perfection seems apt.
Of course, perhaps PME exceeds even this. But I find it prudent not to assume such lofty targets -- "margin of safety" being the other phrase that comes tro mind.
Results announcement here