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 Activision Blizzard, Inc. 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, Activision Blizzard has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.58, as you can see in the chart below:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 24.56. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Activision Blizzard’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 21.01. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
We should also point out that Activision Blizzard has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 15.30, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Activision Blizzard 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, Activision Blizzard has a P/S ratio of about 5.08. This is marginally lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.09 right now. As we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
If anything, ATVI is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Activision Blizzard 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 Activision Blizzard a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Activision Blizzard is just 0.99, a level that is lower than the industry average of 2.06. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, ATVI is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Activision Blizzard 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 F and a Momentum score of C. This gives ATVI a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of D. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mostly trending lower. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to seven lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and four downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has fallen by 3.6% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.5%.
This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Activision Blizzard is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 27% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock.
However, with 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 underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Image: Bigstock
Is Activision Blizzard (ATVI) a Good 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 Activision Blizzard, Inc. 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, Activision Blizzard has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.58, 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 24.56. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Activision Blizzard’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 21.01. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Activision Blizzard has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 15.30, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Activision Blizzard 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, Activision Blizzard has a P/S ratio of about 5.08. This is marginally lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.09 right now. As we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, ATVI is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Activision Blizzard 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 Activision Blizzard a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Activision Blizzard is just 0.99, a level that is lower than the industry average of 2.06. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, ATVI is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Activision Blizzard 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 F and a Momentum score of C. This gives ATVI a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of D. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mostly trending lower. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to seven lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and four downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has fallen by 3.6% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.5%.
This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Activision Blizzard is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 27% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock.
However, with 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 underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.