Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP): A Bull Case Theory

We came across a bullish thesis on Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) on Substack by Long-Term Pick. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on MEDP. Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP)’s share was trading at $342.41 as of Feb 13th. MEDP’s trailing and forward P/E were 27.11 and 27.40 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

A close up photograph of a vial of a new biotechnological drug candidate in development.

Medpace Holdings reported solid financial performance for Q4 2024, with a 7.7% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $536.6 million. Full-year revenue for 2024 rose by 11.8%, totaling $2.11 billion, showcasing the company’s growth despite a challenging environment. Q4 EBITDA grew by 39.3%, reaching $133.5 million, accompanied by an improvement in margins to 24.9%. Net income also surged by 49.5%, reaching $117 million, reflecting the company’s strong operational efficiency. With a cash position of $669.4 million as of December 31, 2024, and $190.7 million in operating cash flow for Q4, Medpace is well-capitalized to support its business strategy moving forward.

However, the company faces some challenges. The book-to-bill ratio for Q4 2024 was 0.99, signaling a slight decline in new business awards, and net new business awards for the full year decreased by 5.4%. The business environment showed signs of weakening in Q4, with a decrease in Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and an uptick in cancellation rates, which have negatively impacted the backlog. The 2025 guidance reflects these pressures, with revenue growth expected to be flat or in the low single digits, indicating a cautious outlook for the coming year. Elevated cancellation rates in 2024 could continue to affect bookings in the first half of 2025, adding to the company’s challenges.

Despite these hurdles, Medpace remains resilient with strong financials, a solid cash position, and a promising growth track record. With updated valuation assumptions and a revised exit P/E multiple, the fair price estimate for Medpace is now $370, offering an attractive entry point for investors despite the near-term challenges and cautious outlook.

Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 41 hedge fund portfolios held MEDP at the end of the third quarter which was 37 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of MEDP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MEDP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.