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Pick These 5 Bargain Stocks With Alluring EV-to-EBITDA Ratios
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Investors are typically fixated on the price-to-earnings (P/E) strategy while seeking stocks trading at attractive prices. This straightforward, easy-to-calculate ratio is the most preferred among all the valuation metrics in the investment toolkit for working out the fair market value of a stock. But even this ubiquitously used valuation metric is not without its pitfalls.
Although P/E is the most popular valuation metric, a more complicated multiple called EV-to-EBITDA works even better. Often considered a better alternative to P/E, it gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential and has a more complete approach to valuation. While P/E considers a firm’s equity portion, EV-to-EBITDA determines its total value.
M/I Homes, Inc. (MHO - Free Report) , Norsk Hydro ASA (NHYDY - Free Report) , The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX - Free Report) , Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE - Free Report) and Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT - Free Report) are some stocks with impressive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.
EV-to-EBITDA is a Better Option, Here’s Why
Also referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company.
EBITDA, the other element of the ratio, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability as it strips out non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that reduce net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Just like P/E, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more attractive it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could signal that a stock is potentially undervalued.
Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value potential acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
Moreover, P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front.
EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. Moreover, it can be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.
However, EV-to-EBITDA is also not without its shortcomings and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock’s potential and future performance. The ratio varies across industries and is generally not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital spending requirements.
As such, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S), to achieve your desired results.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for bargain stocks:
EV-to-EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV-to-EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio, the more attractive the stock is, as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best upside potential.
Here are our five picks out of the 15 stocks that passed the screen:
M/I Homes is one of the leading builders of single-family homes. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
M/I Homes has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 20.8% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MHO’s 2024 earnings has been revised 7.7% upward over the last 60 days.
Norsk Hydro has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 42.5% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NHYDY’s 2024 earnings has been revised 32.6% upward over the past 60 days.
The Greenbrier Companies is a leading supplier of transportation equipment and services to the railroad and related industries. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
The Greenbrier Companies has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 46.5% for fiscal 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GBX’s fiscal 2024 earnings has been revised 2.4% upward over the past 60 days.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is focused on developing solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze and act upon data seamlessly from edge to cloud. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 6.9%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HPE’s 2024 earnings has been stable over the past 60 days.
Empire State Realty Trust is a leading real estate investment trust. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of B.
Empire State Realty Trust has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 1.1% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ESRT’s 2024 earnings has been revised 1.1% upward over the past 60 days.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
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Pick These 5 Bargain Stocks With Alluring EV-to-EBITDA Ratios
Investors are typically fixated on the price-to-earnings (P/E) strategy while seeking stocks trading at attractive prices. This straightforward, easy-to-calculate ratio is the most preferred among all the valuation metrics in the investment toolkit for working out the fair market value of a stock. But even this ubiquitously used valuation metric is not without its pitfalls.
Although P/E is the most popular valuation metric, a more complicated multiple called EV-to-EBITDA works even better. Often considered a better alternative to P/E, it gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential and has a more complete approach to valuation. While P/E considers a firm’s equity portion, EV-to-EBITDA determines its total value.
M/I Homes, Inc. (MHO - Free Report) , Norsk Hydro ASA (NHYDY - Free Report) , The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX - Free Report) , Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE - Free Report) and Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT - Free Report) are some stocks with impressive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.
EV-to-EBITDA is a Better Option, Here’s Why
Also referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company.
EBITDA, the other element of the ratio, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability as it strips out non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that reduce net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Just like P/E, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more attractive it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could signal that a stock is potentially undervalued.
Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value potential acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
Moreover, P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front.
EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. Moreover, it can be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.
However, EV-to-EBITDA is also not without its shortcomings and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock’s potential and future performance. The ratio varies across industries and is generally not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital spending requirements.
As such, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S), to achieve your desired results.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for bargain stocks:
EV-to-EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV-to-EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio, the more attractive the stock is, as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best upside potential.
Here are our five picks out of the 15 stocks that passed the screen:
M/I Homes is one of the leading builders of single-family homes. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
M/I Homes has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 20.8% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MHO’s 2024 earnings has been revised 7.7% upward over the last 60 days.
Norsk Hydro is a leading aluminum and renewable energy company. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Norsk Hydro has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 42.5% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NHYDY’s 2024 earnings has been revised 32.6% upward over the past 60 days.
The Greenbrier Companies is a leading supplier of transportation equipment and services to the railroad and related industries. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
The Greenbrier Companies has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 46.5% for fiscal 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GBX’s fiscal 2024 earnings has been revised 2.4% upward over the past 60 days.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is focused on developing solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze and act upon data seamlessly from edge to cloud. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 6.9%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HPE’s 2024 earnings has been stable over the past 60 days.
Empire State Realty Trust is a leading real estate investment trust. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of B.
Empire State Realty Trust has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 1.1% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ESRT’s 2024 earnings has been revised 1.1% upward over the past 60 days.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.