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Is Orion Engineered Carbons (OEC) a Suitable Value Pick Now?
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Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Orion Engineered Carbons, S.A. (OEC - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Orion Engineered Carbons has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.7, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 17.2. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Orion Engineered Carbons’ current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past three years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares slightly favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 11.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Orion Engineered Carbons has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.4, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Orion Engineered Carbons stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Orion Engineered Carbons has a P/S ratio of about 1.0. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.1 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, the stock is trading at its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Orion Engineered Carbons currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Orion Engineered Carbons a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Orion Engineered Carbons might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of C and a Momentum score of D. This gives OEC a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of B. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter as well as the full year has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 6.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched up by 0.9%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Despite this somewhat positive estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Orion Engineered Carbons is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (among the bottom 20%) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?
Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.
Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.
Image: Bigstock
Is Orion Engineered Carbons (OEC) a Suitable Value Pick Now?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Orion Engineered Carbons, S.A. (OEC - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Orion Engineered Carbons has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.7, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 17.2. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Orion Engineered Carbons’ current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past three years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares slightly favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 11.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Orion Engineered Carbons has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.4, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Orion Engineered Carbons stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Orion Engineered Carbons has a P/S ratio of about 1.0. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.1 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, the stock is trading at its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Orion Engineered Carbons currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Orion Engineered Carbons a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Orion Engineered Carbons might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of C and a Momentum score of D. This gives OEC a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of B. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter as well as the full year has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 6.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched up by 0.9%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A Price and Consensus
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A Price and Consensus | Orion Engineered Carbons S.A Quote
Despite this somewhat positive estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Orion Engineered Carbons is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (among the bottom 20%) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?
Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.
Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.
See the pot trades we're targeting>>