# Helical plc (HLCL.L) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. LSE, United Kingdom. Sector: Real Estate / Real Estate Management & Development. Price 202p, market value 233 millionp.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 40.4×** (5-yr avg 1829.8×, 3-yr avg 2441.4×). Helical plc trades at 40.4× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 1829.8×: cheap by its own standards. The Real Estate median in the September 2026 study was 25.2×. Forward P/E is 15.0×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 3.5×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 3.5×.
- **Price / book: 0.6×**. The shares trade below book value, which can signal a bargain or a balance sheet the market doubts.
- **EV / EBITDA: 17.8×**. Enterprise value is 17.8× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 0.7%** (5-yr avg 0.0%). Free cash flow equals 0.7% of the market value, above its five-year average of 0.0%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been.
- **Earnings yield: 2.5%**. The inverse of the P/E: 2.5% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 52.4%**. Helical plc keeps 52.4% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells.
- **Operating margin: 73.1%**. 73.1% of revenue is left after running the business, an exceptional level.
- **Net margin: 17.0%**. 17.0% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 1.3%**. 1.3% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 8.5%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 8.5%.
- **Return on assets: 5.4%**. Each dollar of assets produces 5.4% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 4.0%** (3-yr -15.1%/yr, 5-yr 1.6%/yr). Revenue grew 4.0% over the last year, against 1.6% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -79.9%** (5-yr -21.0%/yr). Earnings per share fell 79.9%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 4.5%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 4.5% a year over three years.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.41**. Debt is 0.41 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 6.8×**. It would take 6.8 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Interest coverage: 3.0×**. Operating profit covers interest 3.0× over, a safe margin.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.85**. A Z-score of 1.85 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 1.33%** (0p per share, trailing). Helical plc yields 1.33%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 108%** (600% of free cash flow). The dividend exceeds earnings (108% payout), which is rarely sustainable outside REITs and one-off years.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 1**. 1 straight year of increases.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): -10.5%/yr** (1-yr 52.4%). The dividend has not grown over five years.
- **Shareholder yield: 1.7%**. Dividends plus net buybacks return 1.7% of the market value a year.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (3 analysts). 3 analysts cover Helical plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of 270p (+34% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -10.8%** (YTD 2.2%, 3-mo 5.6%). The shares are down 10.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -14.5%** (11.8% above the low). Trading 14% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 53**. An RSI of 53 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.71** (volatility 28%). Beta of 0.71 against the FTSE All-Share: the shares move roughly with the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=HLCL.L · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/hlcl.l

Not investment advice.