Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Hawaiian Holdings (HA) a Great Stock for Value Investors?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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 Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA - 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, Hawaiian Holdings has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 9.40, as you can see in the chart below:

This level is significantly favorable with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 compares in at about 19.89. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Hawaiian Holdings’ current PE ratio somewhat below its midpoint (which is 11.00) over the past five years.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Transportation - Airline industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 11.35. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Hawaiian Holdings has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 9.87, so it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near future.
 
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, Hawaiian Holdings has a P/S ratio of about 1.10. This is substantially lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.08 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, Hawaiian Holdings is towards the higher end of its range in the time period from a 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, Hawaiian Holdings 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 HA a solid choice for value investors.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Hawaiian Holdings 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 ‘A’ and a Momentum score of ‘A’. This gives HA a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘A’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter has seen five estimates go higher in the past sixty days, compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen seven upward and no downward revisions in the same time period.

This has had a positive impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has increased 14.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen by about 8.8%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

This positive trend signifies bullish analyst sentiment, and its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) indicates robust fundamentals and expectations of outperformance in the near term.

Bottom Line

Hawaiian Holdings is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Boasting a good industry rank (top 21% out more than 250 industries) and a strong Zacks Rank, the company deserves attention right now. In fact, over the past one year, the Zacks Transportation – Airline sector has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.

Zacks' 2017 IPO Watch List

Before looking into the stocks mentioned above, you may want to get a head start on potential tech IPOs that are popping up on Zacks' radar. Imagine being in the first wave of investors to jump on a company with almost unlimited growth potential? This Special Report gives you the current scoop on 5 that may go public at any time.

One has driven from 0 to a $68 billion valuation in 8 years. Four others are a little less obvious but already show jaw-dropping growth. Download this IPO Watch List today for free >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA) - free report >>

Published in