AUTOMATISMES LAFONT : revenue, balance sheet and financial ratios

In 2021, AUTOMATISMES LAFONT achieves revenue of 483 k€. Over the period 2016-2021, the company shows strong growth with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of +18.9%. Vs 2020, growth of +40% (346 k€ -> 483 k€). After deducting consumption (212 k€), gross margin stands at 271 k€, i.e. a rate of 56%. This ratio measures the ability to generate value from commercial activity. EBITDA (= Gross margin - Personnel expenses - Taxes) reaches 11 k€, representing 2.4% of revenue. The operating margin remains fragile, requiring cost vigilance. Ultimately, net income (= EBIT +/- financial result +/- exceptional - corporate tax) amounts to 4 k€, i.e. 0.8% of revenue. This profit can be retained or distributed to shareholders.

The debt ratio (= Financial debt / Equity x 100) stands at 3%. This very low level reflects a solid financial structure, offering significant room for future investments or acquisitions. Financial autonomy (= Equity / Total assets x 100) reaches 72%. This high autonomy means the company finances most of its assets through equity, a sign of strength. Debt repayment capacity (= Financial debt / Cash flow) indicates it would take 0.6 years of cash flow to repay all financial debt. This short period demonstrates excellent debt sustainability. Cash flow represents 1.7% of revenue. Cash flow measures resources generated by operations, available for investment and debt repayment.

The liquidity ratio (= Current assets / Current liabilities) stands at 337.42. Concretely, the company has €2 of liquid assets for every €1 of short-term debt: no cash risk within 12 months. The interest coverage ratio (= EBIT / Interest expenses) is 3.3x. Financial charges are adequately covered by operations.

Working capital requirement (WCR) measures the cash timing gap between customer collections and supplier/inventory payments. Average customer payment term: 38 days (formula: Customer receivables / Revenue incl. VAT x 360). Supplier term: 13 days. The company must finance 25 days of gap between collections and payments. Inventory turnover is 13 days (= Average inventory / Cost of goods x 360). Fast turnover, sign of good inventory management. Overall, WCR represents 31 days of revenue, i.e. 42 k€ to permanently finance. Over 2016-2021, WCR increased by +28%, requiring additional financing.

Based on 264 transactions of similar company sales (all years), the value of AUTOMATISMES LAFONT is estimated at 39 866 € (range 19 510€ - 69 055€). With an EBITDA of 11 431€, the sector multiple of 2.1x is applied. The price/revenue ratio is 0.18x (conservative valuation). This multiples method compares the actual sale price of similar companies to their financial indicators (Revenue, EBITDA, Net Income). It provides a market-based indicative estimate.