WES share price in focus
Founded in 1914, Wesfarmers is an Australian conglomerate headquartered in Perth. Its main operations span Australia and New Zealand and include retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety brands and products.
Wesfarmers is a bit like a publicly listed private equity company. It has a long history of buying businesses, benefitting from their cash flow, re-investing in them and then selling them for a more attractive price. A good example of this might be Coles Group, which it bought in 2007 and spun out in 2018. However, by far (over 50%) of the company’s operating profit comes from Bunnings, the #1 hardware and home improvement business in Australia. Wesfarmers originally invested in Bunnings in 1987, buying the final 52% in 1994 for $594 million.
Wesfarmers has long been considered a leading blue chip stock on the ASX and is known for paying a consistent dividend. Other household names owned by Wesfarmers include Blackwoods, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, and Priceline Pharmacy.
CSL shares
CSL is a global biotechnology company that develops and delivers innovative medicines that save lives, protect public health, and help people with life-threatening medical conditions live full lives.
The company is divided into three main business units: CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor. Behring, acquired in 2004, manufactures and distributes blood plasma products. Seqirus was formed by a rebranding of BioCSL and the acquired Novartis flu business (bought in 2015), and makes flu-related products and performs pandemic-related services for Governments. Finally, Vifor makes products for iron deficiency and nephrology (renal/kidney care).
CSL has developed a reputation with Australian investors over many decades as being a reliable company and a consistent dividend payer. Many consider an investment in CSL to be an indirect play on the continuing rise in healthcare costs.
WES share price valuation
One way to have a ‘quick read’ of where the WES share price is, is to study something like dividend yield through time. Remember, the dividend yield is effectively the ‘cash flow’ to a shareholder, but it can fluctuate year-to-year or between payments. Currently, Wesfarmers Ltd shares have a dividend yield of around 2.83%, compared to its 5-year average of 3.36%. Put simply, WES shares are trading below their historical average dividend yield. Be careful how you interpret this information though – it could mean that dividends have fallen, or that the share price is increasing, or both. In the case of WES, last year’s dividend was greater than the 3-year average, so the dividend has been growing.
CSL is offering a historical dividend yield of around 1.37%, which compares to its 5-year average of 1.50%.
The Rask websites offer free online investing courses, created by analysts explaining things like Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and Dividend Discount Models (DDM). They even include free valuation spreadsheets. Both of these models would be a better way to value the CSL share price.”)
