Over the last six months, Korn Ferry shares have sunk to $68.02, producing a disappointing 13% loss - worse than the S&P 500’s 2.4% drop. This might have investors contemplating their next move.
Is there a buying opportunity in Korn Ferry, or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Get the full breakdown from our expert analysts, it’s free.
Why Do We Think Korn Ferry Will Underperform?
Even with the cheaper entry price, we're sitting this one out for now. Here are three reasons why you should be careful with KFY and a stock we'd rather own.
1. Revenue Tumbling Downwards
Long-term growth is the most important, but within business services, a stretched historical view may miss new innovations or demand cycles. Korn Ferry’s recent performance marks a sharp pivot from its five-year trend as its revenue has shown annualized declines of 2% over the last two years. 
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 Korn Ferry’s revenue to rise by 1.6%. While this projection indicates its newer products and services will spur better top-line performance, it is still below the sector average.
3. EPS Took a Dip Over the Last Two Years
Although long-term earnings trends give us the big picture, we like to analyze EPS over a shorter period to see if we are missing a change in the business.
Sadly for Korn Ferry, its EPS declined by more than its revenue over the last two years, dropping 8.1%. This tells us the company struggled to adjust to shrinking demand.
Final Judgment
Korn Ferry falls short of our quality standards. Following the recent decline, the stock trades at 13.3× forward P/E (or $68.02 per share). This valuation is reasonable, but the company’s shaky fundamentals present too much downside risk. There are superior stocks to buy right now. Let us point you toward one of our top digital advertising picks.
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