The earlier period benefited from a $24 million ($0.06 per share) insurance settlement.
A previous article examined NVIDIA's Income Statement for the July quarter. Reported GAAP earnings were $0.01 better than the $0.14 per share we had forecast.
We have now updated the various financial metrics we use to analyze Cash Management, Growth, Profitability and Value. This post reports on the metrics for NVIDIA and the associated financial gauge scores. The metrics were calculated using data from NVIDIA's current and historical financial statements, including those in the latest 10-Q.
Before getting into the details, we will take a step back to introduce the subject of today's analysis.
NVIDIA sells powerful Graphics Processing Units that rapidly perform the huge numbers of calculations required to produce hyper-realistic images for computers and video games.
NVIDIA's operations are divided for financial reporting purposes into three businesses: GPU, Professional Solutions, and Consumer Products. The GPU business, which in fiscal 2010 had Revenue of $1.7 billion (53 percent of the total), sells products for desktop and notebook personal computers. NVIDIA GPUs are installed in computers made by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), and Lenovo.
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is NVIDIA's most direct competitor. However, Intel's (NASDAQ: INTC) Sandy Bride generation of microprocessors, expected early in 2011, includes a CPU and a Graphics Processing Unit. This chip could raise the stakes in Intel's rivalry with NVIDIA.
NVIDIA has promoted the use of its parallel-processing GPUs for computations now performed by Intel's general-purpose microprocessors.
The company is starting to gain traction in the market for smartphones and other mobile devices. NVIDIA's Tegra chips are becoming a popular choice for tablet computers produced by several major manufacturers, according to a DigiTimes report.
Additional background information about NVIDIA and the business environment in which it is currently operating can be found in the look-ahead.
In summary, NVIDIA's latest quarterly results produced the following changes to the gauge scores:
- Cash Management: 17 of 25 (down from 19 in July)
- Growth: 14 of 25 (unchanged)
- Profitability: 20 of 25 (unchanged)
- Value: 5 of 25 (down from 12)
- Overall: 51 of 100 (down from 63)
The current and historical values for the financial metrics that determine the gauge scores are listed below, with some brief commentary. Readers are encouraged to verify these figures and calculate others as they see fit using the filings available at the SEC's web site and elsewhere.
| Cash Management | 31 Oct 2010 | 01 Aug 2010 | 25 Oct 2009 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Current Ratio | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| LTD to Equity | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.4% |
| Debt/CFO (years) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Inventory/CGS (days) | 64.8 | 58.9 | 77.3 | 67.2 |
| Finished Goods/Inventory | 58.6% | 58.4% | 51.8% | 56.1% |
| Days of Sales Outstanding (days) | 42.1 | 40.5 | 51.2 | 49.9 |
| Working Capital/Revenue | 49.2% | 44.6% | 49.1% | 43.7% |
| Cash Conversion Cycle Time (days) | 51.1 | 48.5 | 62.9 | 59.6 |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 17 | 19 | 11 | 13 |
The Cash Management gauge edged down a couple of points, but its score remains strong. Small rises in the Inventory, Days of Sales Outstanding, and Working Capital to Revenue ratio were mainly responsible for the slippage.
NVIDIA holds nearly $2.0 billion in Cash and Short-term Investments, up from $1.6 billion one year earlier. Working Capital also increased from $1.5 billion to $2.0 billion (a record high), which seems more than enough to meet day-to-day business needs. Current Assets increased to an ample 3.4 times Current Liabilities.
The days of Inventory held, which had fallen nicely after a surge in 2009, started to rise again in the latest quarter. We generally prefer to see a leaner inventory, but sometimes a company will stock up on parts and other inventory in anticipation of new product launch.
The Days of Sales Outstanding increased in the last quarter, but the latest calculation is still much better than it was last year at the same time.
The situation was similar with the Cash Conversion Cycle Time.
| Growth | 31 Oct 2010 | 01 Aug 2010 | 25 Oct 2009 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Revenue Growth | 28.8% | 31.2% | -31.9% | 8.0% |
| Revenue/Assets | 98.6% | 105.2% | 79.4% | 110.1% |
| Operating Profit Growth | -14.3% | -22.2% | -12.3% | 12.3% |
| CFO Growth | -22.2% | -20.3% | -23.6% | 2.7% |
| Net Income Growth | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6.3% |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 14 | 14 | 1 | 11 |
The Growth gauge steadied at a decent 14 points. Strong Revenue growth was balanced by declining Cash Flow from Operations.
Revenue in the most recent quarter actually decreased 6.6 percent, from $903 million in the three months ended October 2009 to $844 million. The latest Revenue amount was tantalizingly close to our $845 million estimate. The strong trailing-year growth rate is due to especially weak results in the earlier four-quarter period.
Cash Flow from Operations has been very weak. In the first nine months of the fiscal year, CFO fell from $418.6 million to $241.1 million in the current year.
in the last year, down 20 percent from a period in which Cash Flow was hardly robust. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, Cash Flow from Operations was only $29 million, compared to $277 million in the first half of the prior fiscal year. Cash Flow has been negatively affected by the inventory buildup and other changes to operating assets and liabilities.
Although Net Income in the last four quarter was positive, the growth rate is N/A because of a loss in the prior year. The results in both years were undermined by special charges.
| Profitability | 31 Oct 2010 | 01 Aug 2010 | 25 Oct 2009 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Operating Expense/Revenue | 88.9% | 89.6% | 105.4% | 89.3% |
| ROIC | 43.7% | 25.4% | -13.6% | 49.2% |
| Free Cash Flow/Invested Capital | 24.2% | 16.0% | 30.1% | 61.1% |
| Accrual Ratio | 13.4% | 14.8% | -13.8% | 3.2% |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 20 | 20 | 10 | 15 |
The Profitability gauge score held onto a stellar 20 point score, which seems too high given the company's recent stumbles. This gauge is currently benefiting from easy comparisons with 2009's results and the exclusion of unusual losses.
The charges have had a huge impact on reported earnings (and losses), but they are not included in the figures above for Operating Expenses and Return on Invested Capital. The company's core business is much more profitable than the bottom-line numbers suggest.
The increase in the Accrual Ratio is a concern. It raises a question about whether Cash Flow from Operations will be strong enough to sustain earnings.
| Value | 31 Oct 2010 | 01 Aug 2010 | 25 Oct 2009 | 5-Yr Avg |
| P/E | 32.9 | 22.4 | N/A | 26.0 |
| P/E vs. S&P 500 P/E | 2.2 | 1.5 | N/A | 1.6 |
| PEG | N/A | N/A | N/A | 154.1 |
| Price/Sales | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Enterprise Value/Cash Flow (EV/CFO) | 16.2 | 14.7 | 14.9 | 14.2 |
| Gauge Score (0 to 25) | 5 | 12 | 5 | 8 |
| Share Price ($) | $12.02 | $9.19 | $13.15 | - |
The high P/E multiple clearly reflects optimism about the future more than earnings actually achieved.
The Price-to-Sales ratio still seems appealing.
The decline in Cash Flow from Operations has inflated the EV/CFO ratio, which is looking pricey.
| Overall | 31 Oct 2010 | 01 Aug 2010 | 25 Oct 2009 | 5-Yr Avg |
| Gauge Score (0 to 100) | 51 | 63 | 29 | 46 |
The Overall gauge gave up some of its recent gains because of weakness in the double-weighted Value gauge. However, the score remained above the 50-point threshold.
The expanding inventory, which might be worrisome in other circumstances, could very well be a sign the company is gearing up for sales of new products. Advanced chips for smartphones and tablet computers are a likely possibility.
Full disclosure: Long NVDA at time of writing.
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