Operating Margin - APA Group (ASX:APA)

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Price: 9.12 AUD 0.55%

Market Cap: 12B AUD

28.7%

Current

30%

Average

13.8%

Industry

Operating Margin represents how efficiently a company is able to generate profit through its core operations.

Higher ratios are generally better, illustrating the company is efficient in its operations and is good at turning sales into profits.

Operating Margin

28.7%

Operating Profit

912m

Revenue

3.2B

Operating Margin Across Competitors

Country		Company	Market Cap	Operating Margin
AU		APA Group ASX:APA	11.9B AUD	29%
ES		Naturgy Energy Group SA MAD:NTGY	23.8B EUR	19%
US		Atmos Energy Corp NYSE:ATO	27.3B USD	33%
IT		Snam SpA MIL:SRG	18.7B EUR	48%
HK		Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd HKEX:3	131.2B HKD	15%
JP	T	Tokyo Gas Co Ltd TSE:9531	2.1T JPY	7%
JP		Osaka Gas Co Ltd TSE:9532	2.1T JPY	9%
IN		GAIL (India) Ltd NSE:GAIL	1.1T INR	9%
IT		Italgas SpA MIL:IG	9.4B EUR	38%
CN		ENN Energy Holdings Ltd HKEX:2688	81B HKD	8%
CN		ENN Natural Gas Co Ltd SSE:600803	69.7B CNY	9%

APA Group
Glance View

Economic Moat

None

Market Cap

11.9B AUD

Industry

Utilities

In the energy infrastructure landscape, APA Group stands as a pivotal player in Australia, weaving a network that connects energy producers with consumers across the continent. Founded in 2000, APA Group has evolved into a leading energy infrastructure business, primarily focused on natural gas transmission. With over 15,000 kilometers of gas transmission pipelines under its management, the company effectively controls about 70% of Australia's natural gas transportation market. This vast network serves as the backbone for APA, ensuring the delivery of natural gas from production sites to power stations, gas distributors, and major industrial customers. This intricate system underpins not only the energy sector but also the economy at large, supporting everything from electricity generation to industrial operations. APA Group's business model thrives on long-term, stable returns. Revenue streams are primarily derived from transporting energy via its extensive pipeline infrastructure. The company enters into long-term agreements with energy producers and suppliers, which ensures a steady cash flow due to the nature of its contracts. These agreements are often index-linked, providing a cushion against inflationary pressures. Additionally, APA Group has expanded its portfolio into renewable energy and power generation with wind and solar farms, illustrating a strategic move to diversify and future-proof its operations. By leveraging its existing expertise and infrastructure, APA navigates the evolving energy landscape, balancing traditional gas operations while exploring renewable opportunities. This diversified approach, coupled with a robust network, keeps APA Group well-positioned in the shifting tides of global energy demand.

View APA Analysis

APA Intrinsic Value

What is Intrinsic Value?

Economic Moat is a concept popularized by Warren Buffett to describe a company's durable competitive advantage. It represents the 'moat' that protects a company from competitors and helps it sustain profitability over the long term. Our analysis of the past 10 years showed that companies with a wide economic moat significantly outperformed the market, delivering +645% returns compared to +189% for the S&P 500.

Our research into Economic Moat performance spans the past 10 years and focuses on companies with a wide economic moat. For this analysis, we calculated the average stock price returns of these companies, comparing them to the performance of the S&P 500 index over the same period.

The results were compelling: wide moat stocks achieved a remarkable +645% average return, compared to +188% for the broader market. This difference highlights the long-term benefits of investing in businesses that can maintain their market position and pricing power over time.

Note: This research does not account for survivorship bias. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Determining whether a company has an economic moat requires both a deep dive into financial metrics and a qualitative assessment of its competitive position. Our analysts conduct a rigorous evaluation that focuses on identifying structural advantages that enable a company to sustain profitability and defend its market share over the long term.

The process begins with an analysis of a company’s historical financial performance. We assess how consistently the company has generated returns above its cost of capital and whether those returns have been stable or improving. However, financial performance alone doesn’t reveal the full picture. To understand the sources of these advantages, we evaluate five key drivers of economic moats:

Network Effect: We analyze whether the value of a company’s product or service grows as its user base expands. Platforms like payment systems or marketplaces benefit from this self-reinforcing.

Switching Costs: We assess whether customers face significant costs or disruptions when switching to a competitor’s product or service. High switching costs create customer stickiness and provide pricing power.

Intangible Assets: Strong brands, patents, and regulatory licenses can protect a company’s market position by creating barriers for competitors or enabling premium pricing. For example, a well-recognized consumer brand may command higher customer loyalty and margins.

Efficient scale: Occurs when a market is optimally served by one or a few players, making it unprofitable for new entrants to compete. This typically happens in industries with high fixed costs or geographic constraints, such as utilities or pipelines.

Cost Advantage: Companies with structural cost advantages can produce goods or services at a lower cost than their competitors, enabling them to offer competitive pricing or maintain higher margins. These advantages often arise from economies of scale, superior supply chain management, or proprietary technology. Firms like Walmart leverage their massive scale to negotiate better terms with suppliers, allowing them to undercut competitors on price.

By examining these factors in combination with a company’s financial performance and market positioning, we classify each company into one of three categories:

This rigorous evaluation ensures that our moat ratings are both comprehensive and reliable, giving investors the tools they need to make well-informed, long-term decisions.

The AI Assistant may sometimes provide inaccurate information.

Make your own investment decisions or consult a licensed financial advisor.

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APA Group
ASX:APA