
Workday scores just 2/6 on our valuation checks. See what other red flags we found in the full valuation breakdown.
A Discounted Cash Flow, or DCF, model estimates what a company might be worth by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting those back to today using a required rate of return. It focuses on cash the business can generate for shareholders rather than accounting earnings.
For Workday, the model used is a 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity approach based on cash flow projections. The latest twelve month free cash flow is about US$2.68b. Analyst inputs and subsequent extrapolations point to free cash flow of about US$4.76b by 2031, with intermediate annual projections between 2026 and 2035 that Simply Wall St has discounted back to today.
Pulling these cash flows together, the DCF output suggests an estimated intrinsic value of about US$272.06 per share. Compared with the recent share price of US$129.92, this implies an intrinsic discount of roughly 52.2%, which classifies the stock as undervalued under this model.
Result: UNDERVALUED
Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Workday is undervalued by 52.2%. Track this in your watchlist or portfolio, or discover 58 more high quality undervalued stocks.
For profitable companies, the P/E ratio is a straightforward way to link what you pay for a share to the earnings that support it, which is why it is often the first valuation check investors look at.
What counts as a “normal” P/E depends on how the market views a company’s growth prospects and risk profile. Higher expected earnings growth or lower perceived risk can support a higher multiple, while slower growth or higher risk typically point to a lower one.
Workday currently trades on a P/E of 48.19x. That sits above the Software industry average of 29.44x and also above the peer average of 29.90x. On simple comparisons, the stock therefore carries a premium.
Simply Wall St’s Fair Ratio framework goes a step further by estimating what P/E might be reasonable given factors such as earnings growth, margins, industry, market cap and risk. Because it is built around Workday’s own profile rather than broad group averages, it tends to be a more tailored reference point than a basic peer or industry comparison.
For Workday, the Fair Ratio is 37.17x, which is below the current 48.19x, indicating that on this metric the shares screen as expensively valued.
Result: OVERVALUED
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Earlier it was mentioned that there is an even better way to understand valuation. Narratives on Simply Wall St let you attach a clear story about Workday to the numbers by linking your view on its revenue, earnings and margins to a financial forecast, then to a Fair Value that you can compare with the current price. Because Narratives on the Community page update automatically when new news or earnings arrive, you can see in real time how different investors’ views span from more cautious Fair Values around US$181.31 or US$190.34 up to more optimistic views near US$253.14 or even US$318.04. You can then use that range to decide what you think Workday is worth and how that lines up with the market price.
Do you think there's more to the story for Workday? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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