By |Published On: November 24th, 2015|Categories: Research Insights, Value Investing Research|

The Enterprise Multiple Investment Strategy: International Evidence

Abstract:

The enterprise multiple (EM) predicts the cross section of international returns. The return predictability of EM is similarly pronounced in developed and emerging markets and likewise strong among small and large firms. An international portfolio of low-EM firms outperforms a portfolio of high-EM firms by about 1% per month. The EM value premium is individually significant for the majority of countries, remains largely unexplained by existing asset pricing models, is robust after controlling for comovement with the respective U.S. premium, and is highly persistent for up to 5 years after portfolio formation, making it a promising strategy for investors.

Alpha Highlight:

Jack and I started work on a paper in 2010 that highlighted the results of a study we conducted to identify the top valuation metric. The results? EBITDA/TEV came out on top. This metric didn’t win all the time, but it seemed to be the most robust over the long-haul. Next, we wrote an entire book dedicated to quantitative value and once again found that enterprise multiples/yields performed the best (specifically EBIT/TEV), and they could be improved through the addition of quality metrics. Finally, we wrote a paper that explored all the value investing metrics posted on the AAII website and found that none of them can reliably beat EBIT/TEV. Sheesh…I’m getting tired just thinking about all the work we’ve done on value metrics…

…But we aren’t the only ones to identify the historical benefits to buying cheap companies based on enterprise multiples. For example, Loughran and Wellman published a paper in the JFQA in 2011, and it it they claim that enterprise multiples are a “strong determinant of stock returns.” And now we have the paper under discussion, which highlights what we’ve known internally for some time now–enterprise multiples have worked in international markets.

Key Findings:

This paper examines 40 non-U.S. countries from 1981 to 2010. The sample includes 22 developed markets and 18 emerging markets. Using the same method as Fama-French, the authors create 6 value-weighted portfolios formed on size and EM. Then they compare the performances of low EM portfolios, high EM portfolios and EMD portfolios (enterprise multiple difference, i.e., low EM portfolios-high EM portfolios, similar to Fama-French’s HML metric)

  • Enterprise value = market value of equity + debt + preferred stock – cash and short-term investments
  • Enterprise Multiple (EM) = EV/EBITDA
The Enterprise Multiple International Evidence

The results are hypothetical results and are NOT an indicator of future results and do NOT represent returns that any investor actually attained. Indexes are unmanaged, do not reflect management or trading fees, and one cannot invest directly in an index. Additional information regarding the construction of these results is available upon request.

Conclusions

A few key points from the paper:

  1. An international portfolio of low-EM firms outperforms a portfolio of high-EM firms by 0.95% per month, with a t-stat of 6.97. What’s more, international EM premiums are 2 times higher than the corresponding U.S. EM premiums studied by Loughran and Wellman (2011).
  2.  

  3. The EM premiums are significantly positive in all 40 non-US countries. Especially, 18 out of the 22 developed markets have significant t-stat (>2) and 8 out of 18 emerging markets have significant t-stat (>2).
  4.  

  5. When they rank country EM premiums from high to low, the top 5 developed countries are: Portugal, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria, and the top 5 emerging markets are: Pakistan, Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Thailand. 

Clearly, the enterprise multiple approach to value investing works well in non-US markets, at least it has done so historically. Investors who believe these results might continue, who want international diversification, and believe in the value anomaly, should look for international value strategies based on enterprise multiples. We have offerings exclusively focused on these metrics, but we encourage readers to study all offerings available.

Appendix

Here is the visual depiction of the results posted above in the table.

The Enterprise Multiple International Evidence_by country

The results are hypothetical results and are NOT an indicator of future results and do NOT represent returns that any investor actually attained. Indexes are unmanaged, do not reflect management or trading fees, and one cannot invest directly in an index. Additional information regarding the construction of these results is available upon request.

About the Author: Wesley Gray, PhD

Wesley Gray, PhD
After serving as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, Dr. Gray earned an MBA and a PhD in finance from the University of Chicago where he studied under Nobel Prize Winner Eugene Fama. Next, Wes took an academic job in his wife’s hometown of Philadelphia and worked as a finance professor at Drexel University. Dr. Gray’s interest in bridging the research gap between academia and industry led him to found Alpha Architect, an asset management firm dedicated to an impact mission of empowering investors through education. He is a contributor to multiple industry publications and regularly speaks to professional investor groups across the country. Wes has published multiple academic papers and four books, including Embedded (Naval Institute Press, 2009), Quantitative Value (Wiley, 2012), DIY Financial Advisor (Wiley, 2015), and Quantitative Momentum (Wiley, 2016). Dr. Gray currently resides in Palmas Del Mar Puerto Rico with his wife and three children. He recently finished the Leadville 100 ultramarathon race and promises to make better life decisions in the future.

Important Disclosures

For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Certain information is deemed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. Third party information may become outdated or otherwise superseded without notice.  Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) nor any other federal or state agency has approved, determined the accuracy, or confirmed the adequacy of this article.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Alpha Architect, its affiliates or its employees. Our full disclosures are available here. Definitions of common statistics used in our analysis are available here (towards the bottom).

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