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Is Novo Nordisk (NVO) a Suitable Stock for Value Investors?
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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 Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO - 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, Novo Nordisk has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 24.78, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares slightly favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 25.84. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Novo Nordisk’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares slightly favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 24.99. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Novo Nordisk has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 24.42, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Novo Nordisk 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, Novo Nordisk has a P/S ratio of about 8.05. This is higher than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.54 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is above the median for this stock in particular over the past few years.
NVO is actually in the higher zone of its trading range in the time period per the P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Novo Nordisk currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Novo Nordisk a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Novo Nordisk 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 B and a Momentum score of C. This gives NVO 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 has seen zero estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to one lower, while the full year estimate has seen three upward and one downward revision in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 1.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 2.6%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Even though Novo Nordisk has a better 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
Novo Nordisk 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 28%) 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.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.
Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.
Image: Bigstock
Is Novo Nordisk (NVO) a Suitable Stock for Value Investors?
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 Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO - 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, Novo Nordisk has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 24.78, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares slightly favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 25.84. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Novo Nordisk’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares slightly favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 24.99. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Novo Nordisk has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 24.42, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Novo Nordisk 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, Novo Nordisk has a P/S ratio of about 8.05. This is higher than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.54 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is above the median for this stock in particular over the past few years.
NVO is actually in the higher zone of its trading range in the time period per the P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Novo Nordisk currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Novo Nordisk a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Novo Nordisk 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 B and a Momentum score of C. This gives NVO 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 has seen zero estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to one lower, while the full year estimate has seen three upward and one downward revision in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 1.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 2.6%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Novo Nordisk AS Price and Consensus
Novo Nordisk AS price-consensus-chart | Novo Nordisk AS Quote
Even though Novo Nordisk has a better 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
Novo Nordisk 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 28%) 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:
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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.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.
Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.
Click here for the 6 trades >>