fbpx

3 of the Worst IPOs of 2016 (and Why You Should Consider 2 of Them!)

NantHealth Inc, ZTO Express Inc, and Valvoline Inc were among the worst-performing IPOs in 2016, but two of them are well-entrenched, profitable businesses that are worth looking at now.

Initial public offerings (IPOs) — when a company launches its shares on the public markets — always generate interest: They’re the new blood of the equity market. With the final month of the year under way, it’s a good time to look back at some of the listings of 2016. Specifically, the table below shows three of the four worst-performing IPOs of the year (from their opening price). Don’t be put off by “worst-performing”: Past performance is not indicative of future results. In fact, among the three stocks, two are interesting ideas, one of which I believe is actionable now and could generate healthy returns next year and for many years thereafter. (Spoiler for the impatient reader: It’s lubricant manufacturer and retailer Valvoline Inc(NYSE:VVV).)

Company Market Capitalization* Industry Return From IPO Opening Price (Through Dec. 7)
Valvoline Inc $4.1 billion Commodity Chemicals (16%)
ZTO Express Inc(ADR) (NYSE:ZTO) $9.9 billion Air Freight and Logistics (26.3%)
NantHealth Inc(NASDAQ:NH) $1.2 billion Health Care Technology (38.5%)

*SEARCH WAS LIMITED TO COMPANIES WITH A CURRENT MARKET CAPITALIZATION ABOVE $1 BILLION. DATA SOURCE: BLOOMBERG.

Getty Doctor Health Care Note Pad

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

NantHealth Inc: Unsuitable for anything but a crap shoot

Unless you have a background in the industry, deciphering the offering prospectus of healthcare information technology company NantHealth is no simple matter. Allow me to make a cheeky summary: It’s a mish-mash of industry jargon and red ink. Compounding this challenge, NantHealth is classified as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, leaving you with a mere two years of financials to try to assess the quality of the business.

NantHealth simply does not qualify as an investment; it’s a pure speculation. There is a place for speculating, but given the nature of the company’s business and the massive uncertainty regarding whether or not it will ever achieve profitability, it is fundamentally unsuitable for individual investors — except, perhaps, as the equivalent of a trip to Las Vegas (i.e., for entertainment purposes only, and with money you can afford to see vanish).

Getty Deliveryman Checking A Package To Be Delivered

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

ZTO Express Inc (ADR): Delivering growth and returns

Getting comfortable with ZTO Express’ business, by contrast, presents no such conundrum: With $1.3 billion revenues over the trailing 12 months to Sept. 30, it’s the largest express delivery service in China, itself the world’s largest express delivery market. The business is attractive: ZTO is part of an oligopoly in which the top four domestic companies controlled just over half of the market in 2015. These companies operate a “network partner” model whereby they manage central hubs and federate partners that are responsible for pickup and “last-mile” deliveries.

Consequently, and despite significant growth capital expenditures, ZTO generates healthy cash flows and more than meets its cost of capital, with a return on invested capital of 18.9% in 2015. What can investors expect from ZTO going forward? That’s difficult to answer, but two U.S. examples provide some sort of benchmark: Both United Parcel Service, Inc. And FedEx Corporation have beaten the market over the long term:

FDX Total Return Price Chart

FDX TOTAL RETURN PRICE DATA BY YCHARTS.

(Against that observation, one must weigh two countervailing factors: The Chinese e-commerce market, on which express delivery services depend, is less mature than in the U.S., such that higher future growth is possible. On the other hand, the Chinese express delivery market is also less concentrated than its U.S. counterpart, and presumably, therefore, less profitable; UPS and FedEx owned roughly four-fifths of the U.S. market in 2015.)

Finally, one cannot discuss a potential investment idea without mentioning price: At 20.7 times forward earnings per share, shares look reasonably priced at first glance — particularly in light of the business’s attractive economics and the growth prospects.

Valvoline On Store Shelf

IMAGE SOURCE: THE MOTLEY FOOL.

Valvoline Inc: Lubricating cashflows

More interesting still is Valvoline, which was spun off from specialty chemicals manufacturer Ashland Global Holdings Inc. via initial public offering on Sept. 22. A leading participant in the global finished lubricants market, Valvoline has several attractive assets, including:

  • High-performing retail network: Valvoline operates the second-largest U.S. network of quick lube change retail stores, Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC), with 1,068 locations at the end of September, up from 942 a year earlier (roughly two-thirds of the stores are franchised). VIOC may not be the largest chain, but company-owned stores deliver approximately a third more (36%) daily oil changes, on average, than competing stores. Valvoline’s retail network is the heart of the quick lubes segment, which generated more than a quarter of the company’s operating income in fiscal 2016.
  • High-quality brand: Dating back 150 years to the creation of its first engine lubricant, Valvoline was and is “a highly recognized and respected premium consumer brand.” Over time, and thanks to the company’s focus, Valvoline’s brand has become synonymous with innovation, which leaves it well-positioned to capitalize on the lubricant market’s shift toward high-performance products. Core North America, the segment that sells to consumers and installer customers (car dealers, repair shops, etc.), contributed roughly half of Valvoline’s 2016 operating income.

As you might expect for a business with these characteristics, Valvoline generates plentiful amounts of free cash flow and solid, if unspectacular, returns. Don’t let “unspectacular” (small-f) fool you: Boring businesses can earn their shareholders a lot of money over the long run! In fact, billionaire value investor Warren Buffett got involved in the lubricants market with Berkshire Hathaway’s 2011 acquisition of Lubrizol (which is an important supplier to Valvoline).

Speaking of value, at just 15.4 times forward earnings, Valvoline’s shares are priced at a discount to peers and the broad market — a minor Christmas miracle for a business of this caliber. Investors who get in at current prices may well find that the stock will contribute to lubricating returns to new levels of performance for years to come.

Trump’s potential $1.6 trillion investment
We aren’t politicos here at The Motley Fool. But we know a great investing opportunity when we see one.

Our analysts spotted what could be a $1.6 trillion opportunity lurking in Donald Trump’s infrastructure plans. And given this team’s superb track record (more than tripling the market over the past decade*), you don’t want to miss what they found.

They’ve picked 11 stocks poised to profit from Trump’s first 100 days as president. History has shown that getting in early on a good idea can often pay big bucks – so don’t miss out on this moment.

Click here to get access to the full list!

*Stock Advisor returns as of January 3, 2017

Alex Dumortier, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

You May Also Like

NAIOP South Florida Appoints Officers, Executive Board and Board of Directors for 2022

NAIOP South Florida, a Commercial Real Estate Development Association offering advocacy, education and business opportunities to its members, has announced the following officers for the 2022 Board of Directors: President:

Pride Week Festival Begins With Tribute to Pulse Nightclub Survivor

Miami Beach Pride’s week-long festivities will commence with a special tribute to the LGBTQ+ community honoring the victims of the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. A ceremonial “flip

Surfside luxury condo sees notable sales

Arte at Surfside is making waves. There’s, of course, the news that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are renting at the 16-resident luxury condominium. And there’s the December penthouse sale

Up in the Air: A Discussion

In a dynamic region where residents are typically on the move, everyone is wondering about the health of the airline industry and the safety of airports and airplanes. Everyone is

Other Posts

South Florida Yachting Legend Passes

Robert “Bob” Roscioli, an icon in the South Florida marine industry, has passed away. Many recognize the name Roscioli from the widely-successful and world-renowned Roscioli Yachting Center, a full service

Four key steps

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] What a crazy time we are all experiencing. Right now, getting back to basics is most important. It is not and

Pandemic adds to worries about hurricane season

An above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of

The difference between leading and managing

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] Leadership and management are often misunderstood as one in the same. They are not. Certainly, a good leader should be able

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.