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3 Reasons VLTO is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

VLTO Cover Image

Over the past six months, Veralto’s shares (currently trading at $98) have posted a disappointing 12% loss while the S&P 500 was flat. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.

Is there a buying opportunity in Veralto, or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Dive into our full research report to see our analyst team’s opinion, it’s free.

Even though the stock has become cheaper, we're cautious about Veralto. Here are three reasons why there are better opportunities than VLTO and a stock we'd rather own.

Why Is Veralto Not Exciting?

Spun off from Danaher in 2023, Veralto (NYSE: VLTO) provides water analytics and treatment solutions.

1. Long-Term Revenue Growth Disappoints

A company’s long-term sales performance can indicate its overall quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. Regrettably, Veralto’s sales grew at a sluggish 3.4% compounded annual growth rate over the last three years. This was below our standard for the industrials sector. Veralto Quarterly Revenue

2. Projected Revenue Growth Is Slim

Forecasted revenues by Wall Street analysts signal a company’s potential. Predictions may not always be accurate, but accelerating growth typically boosts valuation multiples and stock prices while slowing growth does the opposite.

Over the next 12 months, sell-side analysts expect Veralto’s revenue to rise by 2.7%, close to its 3.3% annualized growth for the past two years. This projection doesn't excite us and suggests its newer products and services will not lead to better top-line performance yet.

3. Free Cash Flow Margin Dropping

If you’ve followed StockStory for a while, you know we emphasize free cash flow. Why, you ask? We believe that in the end, cash is king, and you can’t use accounting profits to pay the bills.

As you can see below, Veralto’s margin dropped by 2.1 percentage points over the last four years. If its declines continue, it could signal increasing investment needs and capital intensity. Veralto’s free cash flow margin for the trailing 12 months was 15.8%.

Veralto Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin

Final Judgment

Veralto isn’t a terrible business, but it doesn’t pass our quality test. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 26.4× forward price-to-earnings (or $98 per share). At this valuation, there’s a lot of good news priced in - we think there are better investment opportunities out there. Let us point you toward one of our all-time favorite software stocks.

Stocks We Would Buy Instead of Veralto

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Get started by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Sterling Infrastructure (+1,096% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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