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Is Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) a Good Value Investor Pick?

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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 Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ - 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, Jazz Pharmaceuticals has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 10.9, 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 17.4. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 18.9 over the past five years. Moreover, the current level stands well below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it can be a solid entry point.


 
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Medical sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.4. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.


 
We should also point out that Jazz Pharmaceuticalshas a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.2, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Jazz Pharmaceuticals 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, Jazz Pharmaceuticals has a P/S ratio of about 4.3. This is higher than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.2 right now. However, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.


 
Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Jazz Pharmaceuticals currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes
Jazz Pharmaceuticals a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for Jazz Pharmaceuticals is just 0.8, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 1.7. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 7.9, which is better than the industry average of 9.1. Clearly, JAZZ is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Jazz Pharmaceuticals 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 Score of B and Momentum Score of A. This gives JAZZa 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 one upward revision in the past sixty days compared to no downward revisions, while the full year estimate has seen nine upward and no downward revisions in the same time period.

As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 8.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 3.6%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC Price and Consensus

Despite the bullish trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is an inspired choice for value investors, given its decent metrics. Though the stock carries a Zacks Rank #3, it flaunts a robust industry rank (among the top 27% out of more than 250 Zacks Industries), which should boost investor confidence.

So, value investors might want to delve deeper in the stock, as it could be a compelling pick in the forthcoming periods.

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