Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) Shares Could Be 28% Below Their Intrinsic Value Estimate

Key Insights

• Wynn Resorts' estimated fair value is US$129 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

• Wynn Resorts is estimated to be 28% undervalued based on current share price of US$93.14

• The US$126 analyst price target for WYNN is 2.4% less than our estimate of fair value

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Wynn Resorts

The Calculation

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033
Levered FCF ($, Millions)	US$1.03b	US$1.12b	US$791.0m	US$936.0m	US$1.31b	US$1.38b	US$1.44b	US$1.50b	US$1.55b	US$1.60b
Growth Rate Estimate Source	Analyst x1	Analyst x2	Analyst x1	Analyst x1	Analyst x1	Est @ 5.45%	Est @ 4.53%	Est @ 3.88%	Est @ 3.43%	Est @ 3.12%
Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 11%	US$933	US$917	US$583	US$623	US$788	US$750	US$709	US$665	US$621	US$579

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)
Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$7.2b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 11%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF₂₀₃₃ × (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$1.6b× (1 + 2.4%) ÷ (11%– 2.4%) = US$20b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)¹⁰= US$20b÷ ( 1 + 11%)¹⁰= US$7.1b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$14b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$93.1, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 28% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Wynn Resorts as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.810. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Wynn Resorts

Strength

• Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

• Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

• Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Hospitality market.

Opportunity

• Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

• Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

• Total liabilities exceed total assets, which raises the risk of financial distress.

• Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Wynn Resorts, we've compiled three additional elements you should further examine:

1. Risks: Take risks, for example - Wynn Resorts has 4 warning signs (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about.

2. Future Earnings: How does WYNN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart.

3. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.