Huron Consulting Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HURN)

Sector: Industrials Industry: Consulting Services CIK: 0001289848
Market Cap 2.29 Bn
P/B 4.58
P/E 21.14
P/S 1.38
ROIC (Qtr) 10.79
Div Yield % 0.00
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 16.71
Total Debt (Qtr) 650.89 Mn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.30
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About

Huron Consulting Group Inc., known by its ticker symbol HURN, is a prominent player in the professional services industry. The company is renowned for its partnerships with clients, assisting them in devising growth strategies, enhancing operations, and expediting digital transformation. With its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, Huron has established a presence in various countries, including the United States, Canada, India, Singapore, and Switzerland. Huron's primary business activities encompass the provision of consulting and managed services,...

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Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Tangible assets of 690.47M provide exceptional 22.34x coverage of deferred revenue 30.91M, showing strong service capability backing.
  • Robust free cash flow of 176.12M exceeds capital expenditure of 30.48M by 5.78x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.
  • Operating cash flow of 206.60M provides strong 6.68x coverage of deferred revenue 30.91M, indicating service delivery capability.
  • Robust tangible asset base of 690.47M provides 4.76x coverage of working capital 144.99M, indicating strong operational backing.
  • Operating cash flow of 206.60M provides solid 0.63x coverage of current liabilities 330.05M, showing strong operational health.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 206.60M barely covers its investment activities of (164.88M), with a coverage ratio of -1.25, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Cash reserves of 23.89M provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (131.23M), which is -0.18x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • The company's operating cash flow of 206.60M shows concerning coverage of stock compensation expenses of 47.43M, with a 4.36 ratio indicating potential earnings quality issues.
  • Long-term investments of 35.14M represent a high 0.82x of fixed assets 43.02M, indicating potential overexposure to financial assets versus operational capabilities.
  • Operating cash flow of 206.60M is outpaced by equity issuance of (167.21M) (-1.24 ratio), indicating concerning reliance on equity markets for funding operations.

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Consulting Services
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 VRSK Verisk Analytics, Inc. 28.99 Bn 59.50 10.85 4.89 Bn
2 EFX Equifax Inc 23.01 Bn 48.18 7.65 4.81 Bn
3 BAH Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp 9.48 Bn 11.30 0.83 4.14 Bn
4 FCN Fti Consulting, Inc 5.36 Bn 20.13 1.45 0.74 Bn
5 HURN Huron Consulting Group Inc. 2.29 Bn 21.14 1.38 0.65 Bn
6 ICFI ICF International, Inc. 1.43 Bn 22.60 0.96 0.62 Bn
7 CRAI Cra International, Inc. 1.10 Bn 25.41 1.63 0.19 Bn
8 SBC SBC Medical Group Holdings Inc 0.48 Bn 11.17 2.71 0.03 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 1.89 1.96
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 14.15 5.36
EV to Debt EV to Debt 4.49 58.47
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 17.20 18.59
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 13.80 20.71
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 16.60 11.61
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.28 -835.88
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 1.76 5.73
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 4.58 3.44
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 21.14 22.21
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Dividend Coverage Ratio 0.00 0.70
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 0.00 4.25
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.00 0.32
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 0.00 6.40
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 5.42 92.47
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 14.50 -330.08
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 29.15 126.66
Dividend Growth (1y) % Dividend Growth (1y) % 0.00 0.43
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 27.15 -18.91
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 16.32 -12.32
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 27.49 -132.53
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 27.14 -937.51
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 28.60 -76.24
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 65.49 -11.33
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 15.55 12.14
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 1.07 0.77
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.00 0.09
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.07 2.02
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.44 4.88
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.30 0.55
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 5.41 92.47
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 5.41 92.47
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 12.50 -16.97
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 10.26 -96.24
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 8.37 -22.60
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 31.60 54.26
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 6.50 -25.32