💰 Intrinsic Value: $26.9B
DCF valuation based on Owner Earnings growing at 23.70% annually
📈 Expected Return: 23.30%
Projected annual return if stock converges to fair value over 5 years
Where USFD Falls on the Value Scale
USFD is currently trading at 12.60% below intrinsic value
☷ Brina Gap Analysis EXCLUSIVE
Margin of Safety tells you whether this stock is cheap relative to what the business has historically earned for owners. The Brina Gap tells you whether that discount is confirmed by forward economics — or whether the market is already pricing in the growth that would justify a higher price. The two signals are calculated from completely independent data sources. When both point in the same direction, confidence in the opportunity is significantly higher. When they diverge, the matrix tells you exactly what kind of situation you are in.
See all four signal layers on the complete USFD stock report.
What is Margin of Safety?
"The margin of safety is always dependent on the price paid. It will be large at one price, small at some higher price, nonexistent at some still higher price."- Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor
Margin of Safety is a fundamental concept in value investing, introduced by Benjamin Graham and embraced by Warren Buffett. It represents the difference between a stock's intrinsic value and its market price, expressed as a percentage. This "cushion" protects investors from errors in analysis, unforeseen events, and market volatility.
How We Calculate Margin of Safety
Margin of Safety = ((Intrinsic Value - Market Cap) / Intrinsic Value) × 100
For USFD:
MoS = (($26.9B - $23.5B) / $26.9B) × 100
MoS = 12.60%
A positive margin of safety means the stock is trading below its intrinsic value - you're potentially buying dollars for less than a dollar. A negative margin of safety means you're paying a premium.
Why 30% is the Magic Number
Benjamin Graham famously recommended a margin of safety of at least 30% before buying. This buffer accounts for:
- Estimation errors: Intrinsic value calculations involve assumptions that may be wrong
- Unforeseen events: Economic downturns, competitive threats, management issues
- Market volatility: Prices can fall further before recovering
- Opportunity cost: Capital tied up in fairly-valued stocks can't buy bargains
Fairly Valued Zone
USFD's 12.60% margin of safety suggests: Trading near intrinsic value — limited margin of safety
"Price is what you pay, value is what you get."- Warren Buffett
Important Considerations
Margin of safety is just one factor in investment decisions. Before acting on this signal, consider:
- Quality of the business: High ROIC, durable competitive advantages, honest management
- Growth trajectory: Is Owner Earnings growing or declining?
- Balance sheet strength: Debt levels, interest coverage, liquidity
- Industry dynamics: Secular headwinds or tailwinds
- Your own analysis: Never rely solely on any single metric or tool
🔗 Understanding the Calculation
Margin of Safety is derived directly from Intrinsic Value. Here's how we calculate USFD's margin of safety step by step:
Want to understand how we calculate the intrinsic value of $26.9B?
View DCF Methodology & Calculation →Our DCF model uses Owner Earnings (Warren Buffett's preferred cash flow metric), a 10% discount rate (Buffett's hurdle rate), and a data-driven growth rate calculated via log-linear regression on historical data. See the full methodology on our Intrinsic Value page.
🔗 The Valuation Trilogy
Margin of Safety is the second piece of Zyberno's valuation framework, connecting Intrinsic Value to Expected Return:
Higher intrinsic value + higher margin of safety = higher expected return
📊 Full USFD Stock Report →
See complete financial analysis with 250+ metrics.
💰 USFD Intrinsic Value →
Detailed DCF methodology and how we calculate fair value.
📈 USFD Expected Return →
Projected annual return if stock converges to intrinsic value.
👤 USFD Owner Earnings →
The cash flow metric that powers our DCF valuation.
🔁 USFD ROIC →
Return on Invested Capital - business quality metric.
💵 USFD Free Cash Flow →
Cash generation after capital expenditures.
🪙 USFD EPS →
Earnings Per Share history and growth trends.
☷ USFD Brina Gap →
Fundamental growth vs. what the market price is implicitly assuming.
📏 USFD Momentum →
12-1 price momentum and 52-week-high position - market context, not valuation.
Summary: USFD Valuation Status
According to Zyberno's DCF model, US FOODS HOLDING CORP. (USFD) has a Margin of Safety of +12.6% — a hold signal, trading near Zyberno's estimated intrinsic value per share of $122.91.
US FOODS HOLDING CORP. is currently trading at $107.44 per share compared to Zyberno's estimated intrinsic value of $122.91. This represents a margin of safety of 12.60% — valuation status: FAIRLY VALUED.
Trading near intrinsic value — limited margin of safety. This translates to an expected annual return of 23.30% if the stock converges to fair value. For complete analysis including business quality metrics, profitability ratios, and balance sheet strength, view the full USFD stock report. To understand how Zyberno calculates intrinsic value, see the USFD intrinsic value analysis.
Zyberno's margin of safety is the direct output of the model — the percentage gap between intrinsic value and the current price. The number is not smoothed toward analyst targets or market sentiment. A margin of safety of +40% means the model values the business 40% above what the market is currently pricing in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is USFD's margin of safety?
US FOODS HOLDING CORP.'s margin of safety is 12.60%. This represents the percentage difference between our calculated intrinsic value ($26.9B) and the current market cap ($23.5B).
Should I buy USFD stock now?
USFD is trading near fair value. Value investors typically wait for a larger margin of safety (30%+) before buying.
What is a good margin of safety for stocks?
Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, recommended a margin of safety of at least 30%% before buying a stock. This cushion protects against estimation errors, unforeseen events, and market volatility. Higher quality businesses may warrant smaller margins, while riskier businesses require larger ones.
How is margin of safety calculated?
Margin of Safety = ((Intrinsic Value - Market Cap) / Intrinsic Value) × 100. A positive value means the stock trades below intrinsic value; negative means it trades above.
Is USFD undervalued or overvalued?
USFD appears fairly valued with a 12.60% margin of safety.