SThree plc (STEM) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Nov 6, 2026: fair value (intrinsic value) of SThree plc stock £3.08, price £2.98, upside +3.5%, quality 66 out of 100. Rating: fairly valued. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceableSee the method →
Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year. As of Nov 7, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range £1.26 – £4.71 · fair‑value band £2.31 – £3.85 · the £2.98 price screens below the £3.08 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). As of Nov 7, 2026.
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SThree plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides workforce consultancy services in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and internationally.
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The company advises businesses, builds expert teams, and delivers project solutions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics industries under the Computer Futures, Progressive, Real, Huxley, Global Enterprise Partners, JP Gray, and Madison Black brand names.
It also provides recruitment, human resources, support, and management services. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Stock analysis
SThree plc (STEM) currently trades at £2.98, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is £3.08, so the stock looks roughly fairly valued today (gap 3.4%).
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Valuation
Bull case: the Growth DCF group reads highest at a median of £5.80 per share, and 15 of the 26 models we run sit above the £2.98 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at £1.34, and 11 of the 26 models stay below the price. Data coverage for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: £2.31 (bear) to £3.85 (bull), the price of £2.98 sits inside it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 66/100 (solid quality), in the Industrials sector.
Weak Growth: Growth has flattened: the last year, three and five years all grew more slowly than the long-term average.
SThree plc reported revenue of £1.3B in FY2025 versus £1.3B in FY2021, a compound −0.5%/yr. Reported net income was £17.7M in FY2025, compounding −19.4%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap £373M Small · P/E ratio 29.8 · P/S ratio 0.30 · EPS (TTM) £0.1000 · Dividend yield 4.8% · Net margin 1.0% · Return on equity 6.1% · Return on assets (EBIT) 13.4% (5-year average).
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 32 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 7% below its 52-week high and 116% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Industrials peers we cover trades at 14% fair-value upside, at 4%, STEM screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear£2.31Fair Value £3.08Bull£3.85
Price £2.98 · Upside +3.5%
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above starts from their evidence-weighted blend, not from a single model. In cyclical trough or peak years, after dilution or a stock split it is adjusted afterwards, so it can sit above or below the models.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target. If a model's bull case is above four times its base value, the table shows that limit with a > sign (like the overall Bull above): beyond it no assumption holds.Coverage ⓘCoverage = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.40/100
Growth has flattened: the last year, three and five years all grew more slowly than the long-term average.
Revenue growth 1 year
−12.8%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−7.4%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+1.6%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: +4.4% a year
Revenue growth 21 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+8.3%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
−10.3%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year−15.1%
Dividend (yield on the price)4.8%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.−15.1% vs −3.8%, slowing
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.3% → 2%
Pace: the 5-year rate starts in 2020 (pandemic)
Growth Forecast
Little optimism in the price
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and less than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
−11.5%
The company could shrink this much every year for the next five years and today's price would still be justified.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
+1.6%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (UK: IMF forecast 2.3% a year to 2030, 3.3% from 2016 to 2025) that is about −13.5% a year for the price and −0.7% for the forecasts.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (57 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Hype
Recent news coverage is unusually upbeat, far more positive than stocks are typically covered.
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Staffing & Employment Services · 83 stocks
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "SThree plc Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/STEM
Frequently asked questions
Is SThree plc (STEM) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Nov 7, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of £3.08 versus a price of £2.98, about +4% upside (fairly valued).
What is the fair value of STEM?
Our model-based fair value for SThree plc is £3.08 (as of Nov 7, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: £2.98.
What is the quality score of STEM?
SThree plc has a Quality Score of 66/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for SThree plc (STEM)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of £3.08 (as of Nov 7, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario £2.31, optimistic scenario £3.85. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the SThree plc stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at £3.08, about +4% upside versus a price of £2.98 (fairly valued). Cautious scenario £2.31, optimistic scenario £3.85. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of SThree plc (STEM)?
SThree plc reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about £1.3B (latest available figure, as of Nov 7, 2026).
Does SThree plc pay a dividend?
SThree plc currently shows a dividend yield of 4.81% relative to its recent price (as of Nov 7, 2026).
How much is the dividend of SThree plc (STEM) and when is the ex-dividend date?
SThree plc pays a dividend of £0.143 per share a year, a dividend yield of 4.8%. The next ex-dividend date is Nov 12, 2026. A dividend has been paid every year since at least 2006. The payout ratio is 143% of earnings. Free cash flow covers the dividend 3.26 times. Our assessment: Sustainable. Payout and cash coverage both look sustainable.
What growth is priced into SThree plc (STEM)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, SThree plc would have to grow free cash flow by -11.5 % per year for five years (discount rate 11.1 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +1.6 % per year. As of Nov 7, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of STEM use?
Our models discount SThree plc at 11.1 %: a base by market capitalisation (small), damped by beta 0.78, country premium for United Kingdom. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For SThree plc that is -11.5 % per year for five years, then slowing evenly to 2 % by year ten, using the same discount rate (11.1 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has SThree plc (STEM) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at SThree plc grew +1.6 % a year. The price currently implies free-cash-flow growth of -11.5 % per year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of SThree plc (STEM) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +7.8 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into SThree plc (-11.5 % per year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of SThree plc (STEM)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 15.07 %: that much free cash flow SThree plc produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (11.1 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of SThree plc (STEM)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For SThree plc it is £3.08 per share (as of Nov 7, 2026), against a price of £2.98. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models in 8 families (DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings).
Is SThree plc stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Nov 7, 2026, STEM trades below its calculated fair value: price £2.98, fair value £3.08, a gap of about +4% (fairly valued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of STEM?
No. The price is what the market pays today (£2.98); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify (£3.08). For SThree plc the two are £0.1050 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is SThree plc worth?
The market values SThree plc at about £373M (market capitalisation, as of Nov 7, 2026). Per share that is £2.98; our models calculate a fair value of £3.08 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about STEM?
Our models span a range for SThree plc: cautious scenario £2.31, base £3.08, optimistic £3.85 per share (as of Nov 7, 2026, price £2.98). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of STEM?
SThree plc trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.8 (as of Nov 7, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of £3.08 is built from several models across several years. Median P/E at fiscal year-end, 10 fiscal years (2016 to 2025), reported earnings: 11.7. Other multiples: P/B 1.6, P/S 0.3, EV/EBITDA 12.4.
How solid is the balance sheet of SThree plc (STEM)?
Balance-sheet figures for SThree plc (as of Nov 7, 2026): return on equity 6.1%. They feed the Quality Score of 66/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is STEM from its 52-week high?
SThree plc trades at £2.98, about 7% below its 52-week high of £3.20 and 116% above the low of £1.38 (as of Nov 6, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of £3.08 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to SThree plc?
From the same area (Industrials) we also value Randstad N.V, Adecco Group, Korn Ferry,, Robert Half Inc, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is SThree plc stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Nov 7, 2026: price £2.98, calculated fair value £3.08 (+4%), Quality Score 66/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of STEM calculated?
We run SThree plc through 26 models from 8 families: DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the fair value of £3.08 builds on their evidence-weighted average, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 13.3% above its aggregate fair value. SThree plc currently trades 3% below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of SThree plc (STEM)?
The closing price on Nov 6, 2026 was £2.98. Our model-based fair value is £3.08, about +4% upside (fairly valued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with SThree plc right now?
The price sits close to our fair value, market and models broadly agree here, little valuation tension. The price sits in the lower half of our model range, the side with the larger margin of safety. The data supports the verdict: every model runs on fully documented inputs.
Where does the earnings growth of SThree plc (STEM) come from?
Earnings per share at SThree plc grew +6.5 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share +6.4 %, EBIT margin −1.5 %, tax rate +0.3 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +1.4 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of SThree plc
How large is the market capitalisation of SThree plc (STEM)?
The market capitalisation of SThree plc is £373M. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of SThree plc (STEM)?
The price-to-sales ratio of SThree plc is 0.30 (last twelve months). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of SThree plc (STEM)?
Earnings per share at SThree plc are £0.1000 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 29.8). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of SThree plc (STEM)?
The dividend yield of SThree plc is 4.8% (payout 143%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of SThree plc (STEM)?
The net margin of SThree plc is 1.0% (last twelve months). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of SThree plc (STEM)?
The return on equity (ROE) of SThree plc is 6.1% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of SThree plc (STEM)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of SThree plc is 13.4% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of SThree plc (STEM)?
The operating margin of SThree plc is 0.7% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at SThree plc (STEM)?
Revenue at SThree plc is growing −7.7% versus a year earlier (3y avg −7.4%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at SThree plc (STEM)?
Earnings per share at SThree plc are growing −63.6% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does SThree plc (STEM) carry?
The net debt of SThree plc is £16.5M (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 0.3 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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Broad data
Nov 7, 2026