Myriad Genetics’s stock price has taken a beating over the past six months, shedding 65.1% of its value and falling to $9.99 per share. This might have investors contemplating their next move.
Is now the time to buy Myriad Genetics, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? See what our analysts have to say in our full research report, it’s free.
Even though the stock has become cheaper, we’re swiping left on Myriad Genetics for now. Here are three reasons why there are better opportunities than MYGN and a stock we’d rather own.
Founded in 1991 as one of the pioneers in translating genetic discoveries into clinical applications, Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ:MYGN) develops genetic tests that assess disease risk, guide treatment decisions, and provide insights across oncology, women’s health, and mental health.
A company’s long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can experience short-term success, but top-performing ones enjoy sustained growth for years. Unfortunately, Myriad Genetics struggled to consistently increase demand as its $837.6 million of sales for the trailing 12 months was close to its revenue five years ago. This wasn’t a great result and is a sign of poor business quality.
Analyzing the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) shows whether a company’s incremental sales were profitable – for example, revenue could be inflated through excessive spending on advertising and promotions.
Sadly for Myriad Genetics, its EPS declined by 35.3% annually over the last five years while its revenue was flat. This tells us the company struggled because its fixed cost base made it difficult to adjust to choppy demand.
Growth gives us insight into a company’s long-term potential, but how capital-efficient was that growth? A company’s ROIC explains this by showing how much operating profit it makes compared to the money it has raised (debt and equity).
Myriad Genetics’s five-year average ROIC was negative 25.2%, meaning management lost money while trying to expand the business. Its returns were among the worst in the healthcare sector.
Myriad Genetics doesn’t pass our quality test. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 192.9× forward price-to-earnings (or $9.99 per share). This multiple tells us a lot of good news is priced in – we think there are better investment opportunities out there. We’d suggest looking at the Amazon and PayPal of Latin America.
