Old School Value

(This article first appeared on The DIV-Net)

In 1932 at the bottom of the Great Crash, Ben Graham’s fund had dropped 70%, but it was precisely this time when he wrote an article on Forbes about the cheapness of the market and how the market was selling the United States for free. I feel we are close to the same situation.

Deep Value Companies

Stock Market Prognosticator previously shared a list of Net Current Asset Value plays, and I previously wrote about how there were literally hundreds of companies that are being quoted for less than their cash in the piggy bank. One such company that I have analyzed lately is ValueVision Media Inc. These companies are being quoted in the market for much less than their liquidating value, as if they were all destined to be doomed. But does it make sense to be quoted for less than the cash in your hand?

A long time ago a president of the New York Stock Exchanges testified

“In times like these, frightened people give the United States of ours away.”

Liquidating Value

Graham defined liquidating value very conservatively.

Working capital (current assets less current liabilities) then subtract any debt not included in current liabilities.

But we can be just as conservative yet at the same time find logic in a slight variant of the above formula.

The Net Net Working Capital.

Net Net Working Capital = Cash and short-term investments + (0.75 * accounts receivable) + (0.5 * inventory) - total liabilities

The formula states that;

• cash and short term investments are worth 100% of its value
• accounts receivables should be taken at 75% of its stated value because some might not be collectible
• take 50% off inventories, due to discounting if close outs occur

The Table of Steals

Until recently, it was quite difficult to find a Net Net stock that had real prospects, but the market is washing them up ashore more and more frequently. The tide has finally gone out and here’s a few that came up. Some a gems covered in mud while most a rocks covered in mud.

	Price % to NNWC
VVTV	15.03%
ASFI	16.18%
NUHC	18.14%
SPF	24.57%
PLI	26.28%
TAIT	26.42%
CRV	29.96%
BZH	34.79%
TBAC	35.14%
TWMC	35.92%
MSN	36.64%
TUES	41.20%
NENG	42.12%
HDNG	44.40%

To run the screen yourself, go here. The top 7 are already trading at a huge 66% margin of safety.

However, these types of asset plays are not suited to everybody. There is a lot of volatility involved and there is a risk the value may never being realized by the market.

As always, due diligence is required and ever more in these situations.

Disclosure: I own VVTV at the time of this writing

Technorati Tags: ben graham, net net, VVTV, ASFI, NUHC, SPF, PLI, TAIT, CRV, BZH, TBAC, TWMC, MSN, TUES, NENG, HDNG

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