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Wondering whether Rolls-Royce Holdings is still attractively priced after its huge run, or if the easy gains are already behind it? This article breaks down what the current share price could be implying about value.
The stock last closed at £11.82, with returns of 1.9% over 7 days, 4.4% over 30 days, a 1.3% decline year to date, and 55.4% over the past year, following a very large gain over 3 years.
Recent headlines have focused on Rolls-Royce’s restructuring efforts and progress in its civil aerospace and defense businesses. These have been central themes for investors assessing the share price. Coverage has also highlighted management’s focus on cash generation and balance sheet strength, factors many readers watch closely when thinking about valuation and risk.
Right now the company holds a valuation score of 3 out of 6. Next, you will see how different methods such as DCF and multiples compare, before finishing with a way to tie these numbers together into a clearer picture of value.
Approach 1: Rolls-Royce Holdings Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
A Discounted Cash Flow model takes estimates of the cash a company may generate in the future and discounts those amounts back to what they could be worth in today’s money. It is essentially asking what future cash flows are worth right now.
For Rolls-Royce Holdings, the model used is a 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity approach. The latest twelve month free cash flow figure is about £3.60b. Analyst inputs extend out to 2030, with projected free cash flow of £4.81b in that year, and Simply Wall St extrapolates further years using its own assumptions. For example, the model includes projected free cash flow figures around £3.78b in 2026 and around £4.85b in 2035, all discounted back using the chosen rate.
Putting these cash flow projections together, the DCF model suggests an estimated intrinsic value of about £9.64 per share. Compared with the recent share price of £11.82, this implies the shares are around 22.6% overvalued on this method.
Result: OVERVALUED
Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Rolls-Royce Holdings may be overvalued by 22.6%. Discover 9 high quality undervalued stocks or create your own screener to find better value opportunities.
RR. Discounted Cash Flow as at May 2026
Approach 2: Rolls-Royce Holdings Price vs Earnings
For profitable companies, the P/E ratio is often a useful gauge because it links what you pay today directly to the earnings the business is already generating. The level of P/E that might be considered “normal” tends to be higher for companies with stronger expected growth and lower perceived risk, and lower where growth expectations are more modest or risks are higher.
Rolls-Royce Holdings currently trades on a P/E of 16.8x. That sits below the Aerospace & Defense industry average of about 52.0x and below the peer average of 22.8x. Simply Wall St also calculates a “Fair Ratio” of 24.2x, which is the P/E level it estimates would be appropriate given factors such as earnings growth, profit margins, industry, market cap and identified risks.
This Fair Ratio is more tailored than a simple comparison with peers or the industry, because it tries to adjust for company specific characteristics rather than assuming all firms in the group deserve the same multiple. Setting the current P/E of 16.8x against the Fair Ratio of 24.2x points to Rolls-Royce trading below that model’s estimate of fair value.
Result: UNDERVALUED
LSE:RR. P/E Ratio as at May 2026
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Upgrade Your Decision Making: Choose your Rolls-Royce Holdings Narrative
Earlier it was mentioned that there is an even better way to understand valuation. Narratives are introduced here as a simple way for you to attach a clear story to your numbers by linking your view on Rolls-Royce Holdings, such as whether it looks closer to £17.40 or £5.78 in fair value, to explicit assumptions for future revenue, earnings and margins. You can then compare that Fair Value to the current price on Simply Wall St’s Community page where millions of investors share their views. Each Narrative updates automatically as new earnings or news arrive, so you can see, for example, how an optimistic view that earnings might move toward £5.0b on a 36.3x P/E differs from a cautious view built around £1.7b of earnings on a 35.7x P/E, and decide which story you think best fits the stock today.
For Rolls-Royce Holdings however, we will make it really easy for you with previews of two leading Rolls-Royce Holdings Narratives:
🐂 Rolls-Royce Holdings Bull Case
Fair value in this bullish Narrative: £14.27
Implied pricing: around 17.2% below this fair value based on the recent £11.82 share price
Revenue growth assumption: 8.8% a year
Analysts outline a case where ongoing transformation, cash generation and margin gains support a higher valuation than the current share price implies.
The view rests on continued demand across civil aerospace, defense and Power Systems, while acknowledging that normalization in activity or cost pressures could test current optimism.
Long term projects such as SMRs and other clean energy and aerospace initiatives are treated as potential additional earnings drivers, with the current analyst fair value of £14.27 reflecting confidence that these efforts and buybacks can support a higher fair value than the market price.
🐻 Rolls-Royce Holdings Bear Case
Fair value in this bearish Narrative: £8.36
Implied pricing: around 41.5% above this fair value based on the recent £11.82 share price
Revenue growth assumption: 3.5% a year
This Narrative focuses on slower revenue growth, tighter margins and higher execution risk, which together point to a lower fair value than both the current price and the bullish case.
Key considerations include long term pressure on traditional engine profitability, higher ongoing costs and the possibility that alternative propulsion and new competitors could affect future market share and earnings power.
While it recognises the operational improvement story, the emphasis is that a lot of positive news could already be reflected in the share price, so any slip in delivery on programs or cash flow could justify a valuation closer to £8.36.
If you want to see how these storylines are built directly from the underlying earnings, margin and cash flow assumptions, and where your own view of fair value fits in between them, To see how these results tie into long-term growth, risks, and valuation, check out the full range of community narratives for Rolls-Royce Holdings on Simply Wall St. Add the company to your watchlist or portfolio so you’ll be alerted when the story evolves.
Do you think there’s more to the story for Rolls-Royce Holdings? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!
LSE:RR. 1-Year Stock Price Chart
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Companies discussed in this article include RR.L.
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