We have already examined the Income Statement for BP's December quarter, which was the fourth quarter of its fiscal year. The $1.36-per-ADS profit attributable to shareholders more than reversed the $1.07 loss in the same quarter of 2008.
BP, the former British Petroleum, is a major Integrated Oil and Gas company. It is a significant operator of Alaskan oil fields and pipelines, and it is currently the "largest leaseholder in the Gulf of Mexico." BP also owns 50 percent of the Russian TNK-BP joint venture. Additional background information about BP and the business environment in which it is currently operating can be found in the beginning of the look-ahead.
BP prepares its financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted for use by the European Union. Reports prior to 2006 complied with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
The latest quarterly results produced the following changes to the gauge scores:
- Cash Management: 7 of 25 (down from 15 in September)
- Growth: 1 of 25 (up from 0)
- Profitability: 4 of 25 (unchanged)
- Value: 3 of 25 (down from 4)
- Overall: 16 of 100 (down from 23)
The current and historical values for the financial metrics that determine the gauge scores are listed below, with some brief commentary.
| Cash Management | 31 Dec 2009 | 30 Sep 2009 | 31 Dec 2008 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Current Ratio | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| LTD/Equity | 25.1% | 27.0% | 19.1% | 16.0% |
| Debt/CFO (years) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Inventory/CGS (days) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Finished Goods/Inventory | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Days of Sales Outstanding (days) | 43.6 | 48.5 | 40.2 | 53.6 |
| Working Capital/Revenue | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Cash Conversion Cycle Time (days) | 16.5 | 15.0 | 16.8 | 14.0 |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 7 | 15 | 18 | 9 |
Long-term debt rose from $13.6 billion in June 2008 to $27.1 billion in September 2009, but amount was trimmed to $25.5 billion in December 2009.
The efficiency metrics are mixed and, as things turned out, had a greater effect on the gauge score than the positive debt-related changes. For example, the number of Days of Sales Outstanding is sharply lower than in September, but it is up from last year. The recent increase in Cash Conversion Cycle Time also contributed to the decline in the gauge score.
| Growth | 31 Dec 2009 | 30 Sep 2009 | 31 Dec 2008 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Revenue growth | -33.7% | -39.5% | 27.0% | 4.4% |
| Revenue/Assets | 103.1% | 93.5% | 155.6% | 126.0% |
| Operating Profit growth | 9.0% | -3.3% | 8.8% | 2.2% |
| CFO growth | -27.2% | -29.2% | 54.2% | 8.9% |
| Net Income growth | -27.7% | -70.1% | 2.9% | 0.5% |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 1 | 0 | 18 | 10 |
The Operating Profit rate is the annualized rate of growth in Operating Profit after Taxes over the last 16 quarters.
The stunted Growth gauge score is a result of the major declines in trailing-year Revenue, Net Income, and Cash Flow from Operations. Lower energy prices and refining margins can be blamed.
An encouraging sign is the modest recovery in Operating Profit after Taxes, which excludes some special charges and credits.
| Profitability | 31 Dec 2009 | 30 Sep 2009 | 31 Dec 2008 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Operating Expenses/Revenue | 91.1% | 94.8% | 91.4% | 90.2% |
| ROIC | 10.6% | 5.3% | 15.4% | 15.3% |
| Free Cash Flow/Invested Capital | 5.8% | 4.1% | 13.0% | 10.5% |
| Accrual Ratio | 3.0% | 1.0% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 4 | 4 | 11 | 9 |
The rising Accrual Ratio, which suggests lower earnings quality, also provided a check on the Profitability gauge.
| Value | 31 Dec 2009 | 30 Sep 2009 | 31 Dec 2008 | 5-Yr Avg |
| P/E | 11.0 | 18.8 | 6.9 | 10.2 |
| P/E vs. S&P 500 P/E | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| PEG | 1.2 | #N/A | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Price/Revenue | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| Enterprise Value/Cash Flow (EV/CFO) | 7.6 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 8.0 |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 3 | 4 | 22 | 9 |
| Share Price ($) | $57.97 | $53.23 | $46.74 | - |
When comparing the current Value metrics to those from December 2008, BP ADSs look much more expensive. However, the current metrics are mostly consistent with their longer-term averages.
| Overall | 31 Dec 2009 | 30 Sep 2009 | 31 Dec 2008 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Gauge Score (0 to 100) | 16 | 23 | 69 | 36 |
BP did much better in the fourth quarter of 2009 than in the same quarter of 2008, but the results were still somewhat disappointing. To some extent this was due to unexpected charges such as the $1.8 billion erased when the company wrote off goodwill associated with U.S. West Coast refining and marketing assets acquired in 2000.
The rise in BP's ADS price shows that investors anticipate better times to come, but the price rise weighed on the contrarian Value gauge.
It will be interesting to see how things change in 2010. Comparisons with past periods should become more favorable, and the higher price of crude oil should be beneficial (especially if production gain can be sustained).
Full disclosure: Long BP at time of writing
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