Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

Read MoreHide Full Article

Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT - Free Report) closed at $47.20 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.07% move from the prior day. The stock lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.21%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the chipmaking equipment services company had gained 6.52% over the past month. This has outpaced the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 1.28% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.9% in that time.

UCTT will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. The company is expected to report EPS of $1, up 36.99% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $543.97 million, up 49.74% from the prior-year quarter.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $3.90 per share and revenue of $2.03 billion. These totals would mark changes of +39.29% and +44.92%, respectively, from last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for UCTT. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. UCTT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note UCTT's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 11.97. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 15.33.

We can also see that UCTT currently has a PEG ratio of 1.5. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Electronics - Manufacturing Machinery industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 0.94 as of yesterday's close.

The Electronics - Manufacturing Machinery industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 50, putting it in the top 20% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks. Com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (UCTT) - free report >>

Published in