Westar Energy, Inc. WR NYSE

NYSE • Utilities • General Utilities • USD

The estimated intrinsic value of Westar Energy, Inc. (WR) using a Dividend Discount Model (DDM) is $219.82 (based on the recommended Net Income method), compared to the current stock price of $54.00. This suggests the stock may be undervalued by 307.1% relative to its intrinsic value.

For utility companies, which are valued primarily for their stable and predictable dividend streams, SharesGrow uses a Dividend Discount Model (DDM): Intrinsic Value = Annual Dividend ÷ (Cost of Equity − Dividend Growth Rate). This model assumes a long-term dividend growth rate of 4% — consistent with the historical average for regulated utilities — and uses a minimum 7% cost of equity. The DDM is the preferred valuation method for income-oriented stocks with stable payout histories.

The valuation uses a CAPM-derived discount rate of 4.09% (CAPM-derived from beta of 0.31). For comparison, the standard 20-year DCF model produces: Operating Cash Flow (OCF): $789.97 | Free Cash Flow (FCF): $42.96 | Net Income (NI): $219.82.

DCF-20 Year

Intrinsic Value Calculator — Westar Energy, Inc.

USD 54.00 ▼ 2.30%

Recommended: Both extremes are distorted for Westar Energy, Inc.: Operating Cash Flow (OCF) is inflated by Depreciation & Amortization (D&A) add-backs on massive Capital Expenditures (CapEx) spending, while Free Cash Flow (FCF) has fallen below 30% of OCF because that same CapEx is subtracted out — leaving near-zero free cash. Net Income sits in the middle: D&A is already deducted through the income statement (reflecting the cost of past assets), without the further penalty of subtracting current CapEx. Since Net Income is positive and consistent, it provides the most balanced foundation for a 20-year Discounted Cash Flow (DCF). Industry norms — FCF/OCF: asset-light ~80%, normal ~50–70%, capital-intensive ~30–50%. Below 30% signals a hyper-investment phase, not steady-state. Recommend to Use: Discounted Net Income.

Free Cash Flow (FCF) / Operating Cash Flow (OCF) Industry Norms

Company Type	FCF / OCF	Examples
Asset-light	~80%	Google, Meta, Microsoft → Operating Cash Flow
Normal	50–70%	Apple, TSLA, Walmart → Free Cash Flow
Capital-intensive	30–50%	Airlines, Oil, Utilities → Free Cash Flow
Hyper-investment ← WR	<30% (current: 26%)	→ Net Income

Operating Cash Flow (M) TTM

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Total Debt (M) Deduct from IV

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Cash & Investments (M) Add to IV

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Discount Rate (%)

r = RFR + β × MRP = 2.43% + 0.5 × 3.31% = 4.09%

RFR 2.43% Risk-Free Rate (government bond yield) · US market

MRP 3.31% Market Risk Premium (expected excess return over RFR)

β 0.5 (floor) Beta: stock volatility relative to market (5-year monthly regression vs S&P 500) · raw β = 0.31; floor 0.5 applied — very low-beta stocks still carry some market risk

Shares Outstanding (M)

Growth Rate

Year 1–5 (%)

Year 6–10 (%)

Year 11–20 (%)

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Intrinsic value
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Intrinsic Price

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Stock Price

USD 54.00

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20-Year DCF Breakdown

Year	Projected CF (M)	Discount Factor	Present Value (M)

Discounted Cash Flow over 20 years using Operating Cash Flow as the base metric, projected across three growth phases and discounted to present value.

High Growth Phase — Years 1–5

The company is assumed to be in its strongest growth period. Cash flows are projected at the highest rate g₁, reflecting rapid expansion, market share gains, or strong earnings momentum over the next 5 years.

Transition Phase — Years 6–10

Growth begins to moderate as the business matures and competition intensifies. Cash flows in years 6–10 are projected at a lower rate g₂, bridging the gap between early explosive growth and long-term stability.

Terminal Phase — Years 11–20

The company is assumed to be fully mature, growing in line with the broader economy. The terminal growth rate g₃ (typically 3–4%, close to long-run GDP growth) is applied to years 11–20, representing sustainable perpetual growth.

IV Intrinsic Value per share — the estimated true worth of one share based on discounted future cash flows over 20 years

OCF₀ Operating Cash Flow — cash generated from core business operations, including D&A, before capital expenditures

g₁ High growth rate (Yr 1–5) — auto-calculated from 3-year historical CAGR of cash flows; adjust based on your outlook

g₂ Transition growth rate (Yr 6–10) — typically 60% of g₁, reflecting slowing momentum as the business matures

g₃ Terminal growth rate (Yr 11–20) — long-run sustainable growth, typically 3–4% matching nominal GDP growth

r Discount rate — converts future cash to today's value; auto-calculated via CAPM = Risk-Free Rate + β × Equity Risk Premium

D Total Debt — sum of short-term and long-term borrowings; deducted from IV because debt is a prior claim on cash flows

C Cash & Short-term Investments — liquid assets held by the company; added back to IV as they belong directly to shareholders

N Shares Outstanding — divides total company value into per-share terms, making it directly comparable to the market price

Same 20-year DCF structure using Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus CapEx) — reflects cash actually available to shareholders after reinvestment.

High Growth Phase — Years 1–5

Free cash flow projected at the highest rate g₁ for years 1–5, capturing the company's peak earnings expansion period.

Transition Phase — Years 6–10

FCF growth slows to g₂ in years 6–10, reflecting business maturation and increasing competition eroding excess returns.

Terminal Phase — Years 11–20

FCF grows at the terminal rate g₃ (≈ GDP growth) for years 11–20, representing the steady-state long-run rate a mature business can sustain.

FCF₀ Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow − CapEx. Represents cash truly available to shareholders after reinvestment needed to maintain the business

g₁, g₂, g₃ Three-phase FCF growth rates, auto-calculated from historical FCF CAGR

r Discount rate (CAPM) = Risk-Free Rate + β × Equity Risk Premium

D, C, N Total Debt, Cash & Investments, Shares Outstanding — same definitions as OCF method

Same 20-year DCF using Net Income as the base metric. Suitable for asset-light businesses where earnings closely track distributable value.

High Growth Phase — Years 1–5

Net income projected at the highest rate g₁ for years 1–5. Best suited for asset-light companies (software, financials, consumer brands) where net income closely tracks shareholder value.

Transition Phase — Years 6–10

Earnings growth decelerates to g₂ in years 6–10 as profit margins normalise and competitive moats are tested.

Terminal Phase — Years 11–20

Earnings grow at terminal rate g₃ for years 11–20. This phase often dominates total present value, so the choice of terminal rate significantly impacts the final IV estimate.

NI₀ Net Income = Revenue − all expenses, interest & taxes. For asset-light companies, NI closely approximates distributable cash to shareholders

g₁, g₂, g₃ Three-phase Net Income growth rates, auto-calculated from historical earnings CAGR

r Discount rate (CAPM) = Risk-Free Rate + β × Equity Risk Premium. Higher beta → higher discount rate → lower IV estimate

D, C, N Total Debt, Cash & Investments, Shares Outstanding — same definitions as OCF method