Fundamental analysis 1981.HK (Cathay Group Holdings Inc.)

Updated on 10/04/2026

Method and analysis by Lubin Danilo, founder of Lubin Investment. Score computed automatically, with no human opinion.

We analyzed Cathay Group Holdings stock against the 10 quality criteria of Lubin Investment. The company gets a quality score of 8/10, meaning high quality, and a P/FCF valuation multiple of 2.4×.

This is the setup we look for: Cathay Group Holdings passes a large majority of our quality criteria while trading at a low free cash flow multiple. That is exactly the "quality company at the right price" profile, the one worth a closer look.

Sector: Education & Training Services. Listing: HK. Current price: 0.67 HKD.

Lubin scoring methodology

Cathay Group Holdings Inc. (1981.HK)'s score is calculated automatically from 10 objective financial criteria, with no human intervention or opinion. Each criterion is validated (YES / PARTIAL / NO) based on thresholds drawn from the financial literature (Warren Buffett, Michael Mauboussin, Aswath Damodaran). The final score is the sum of validations.

The thresholds come from the financial literature, not from our preferences: see the valuation work of Aswath Damodaran (NYU Stern) and the SEC investor education resources (investor.gov).

The 10 quantitative criteria analyzed

1. Profitable: net margin > 5%
2. Growing revenue: revenue growing > 10%/year over 5 years
3. Growing earnings per share: FCF per share adjusted for stock-based compensation, > 10%/year over 5 years
4. Share count under control: stable or declining (net buybacks = value creation for shareholders)
5. Growing revenue per employee: revenue and revenue per employee both grow ≥ 10%/year over 5 years; partial when only one growth driver reaches its tier (fallback: free cash flow margin > 10% when employee history is unavailable)
6. Expanding margins: operating margin widens over 5 years (operating leverage)
7. Return on invested capital: Cash ROCE > 15% per year
8. Debt under control: net debt repayable in less than 3 years of free cash flow
9. Earnings converted to cash: free cash flow exceeds accounting net income
10. Net collection period: short or negative cash conversion cycle

Its price against peers

Against the 5 other Education & Training Services stocks we have scored, Cathay Group Holdings trades at 2.4× its free cash flow, versus a median of 16.3× for that basket. On price alone, Cathay Group Holdings is therefore cheaper than its peers. That says nothing about its quality: at Lubin Investment, quality and price are judged separately, and a low multiple is only a bargain if the quality holds up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cathay Group Holdings a quality stock?

Cathay Group Holdings gets a quality score of 8/10 (high quality), calculated over the 10 Lubin Investment criteria: profitability, revenue and free cash flow growth, share buybacks, margins, debt and return on capital.

How is Cathay Group Holdings's score calculated?

The score is the total of validated criteria (YES / PARTIAL / NO) using thresholds drawn from the financial literature (Warren Buffett, Mauboussin, Aswath Damodaran), automatically and with no human opinion.

What is Cathay Group Holdings's P/FCF?

The price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) multiple of Cathay Group Holdings stock is 2.4×. At Lubin Investment, valuation is judged separately from quality.

Where to see Cathay Group Holdings's full analysis?

The full interactive analysis (10-criteria detail, history, P/FCF valuation, sector comparisons) is available at https://lubin-investment.com/analyse/1981.HK?lng=en.

Other stocks in the Education & Training Services sector

• Laureate Education (LAUR), score 10/10, P/FCF 21.1×
• Covista (CVSA), score 10/10, P/FCF 16.3×
• Shanghai Action Education Technology CO.,LTD. (605098.SS), score 10/10, P/FCF 16.3×
• Strategic Education (STRA), score 9/10, P/FCF 12.5×

Go further

👉 See the full interactive analysis of 1981.HK

Other resources : All stocks in the Education & Training Services sector.