Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Zacks.com featured highlights PBF Energy, Innoviva, Global Partners, Heritage-Crystal Clean and Sterling Infrastructure

Read MoreHide Full Article

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 18, 2022 – Stocks in this week’s article are PBF Energy Inc. (PBF - Free Report) , Innoviva, Inc. (INVA - Free Report) , Global Partners LP (GLP - Free Report) , Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL - Free Report) .

5 Value Stocks with Attractive EV-to-EBITDA Ratios to Snap Up

Price-to-earnings (P/E), given its inherent simplicity, is the most commonly used metric in the value investing world. It is preferred by many investors while handpicking stocks trading at attractive prices. However, even this straightforward, broadly used valuation metric has a few limitations.

While P/E enjoys great popularity among value investors, a less-used and more-complicated metric called EV-to-EBITDA is sometimes viewed as a better alternative. EV-to-EBITDA gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential. It has a more comprehensive approach to valuation. 

PBF Energy Inc., Innoviva, Inc., Global Partners LP, Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. are some stocks with impressive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.

What Makes EV-to-EBITDA a Better Alternative?

EV-to-EBITDA is essentially 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.

EBITDA, the other constituent of the ratio, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability as it removes the impact of non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that dampen net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.

Usually, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more appealing it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could be a sign that a stock is potentially undervalued.

However, unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes into account the debt on a company’s balance sheet. Given this reason, EV-to-EBITDA is usually used to value the possible acquisition targets. Stocks with a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as potential takeover candidates.

P/E also 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 with negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front.

EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful yardstick in evaluating 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 not devoid of shortcomings and alone can’t conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and future performance. The multiple varies across industries and is usually not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries given their diverse capital expenditure requirements.

Therefore, a strategy solely based on EV-to-EBITDA might not yield the desired results. But you can club it with the other major ratios in your stock-investing toolbox such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to screen value stocks.

Here are our five picks out of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:

PBF Energy provides end products that comprise heating oil, transportation fuels, lubricants and many related products. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.

PBF Energy has an expected earnings growth rate of 1,048.8% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PBF's current-year earnings has been revised 24.8% upward over the past 60 days.

Innoviva is a diversified holding company with a portfolio of royalties and other healthcare assets. INVA, flaunting a Zacks Rank #1, has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Innoviva has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 5.8% for the current year. The consensus estimate for INVA's current-year earnings has been revised 8.8% upward over the last 60 days.

Global Partners is focused on the distribution of gasoline, distillates, residual oil and renewable fuels, apart from owning several refined-petroleum-product terminals. GLP, a Zacks Rank #1 stock, has a Value Score of A.

Global Partners has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 654.2% for the current year. GLP’s consensus estimate for the current year has been revised 37.8% upward over the last 60 days.

Heritage-Crystal Clean is a leading provider of parts cleaning, used oil re-refining, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste services. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.

Heritage-Crystal Clean has an expected earnings growth rate of 26.6% for the current year. HCCI’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average being 37%.

Sterling Infrastructure specializes in transportation, e-infrastructure and building solutions. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.

Sterling Infrastructure has an expected earnings growth rate of 47.4% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for STRL’s current-year earnings has been revised 4.6% 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.

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2019235/5-value-stocks-with-attractive-ev-to-ebitda-ratios-to-snap-up

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.

About Screen of the Week

Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine.  But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.

Follow us on Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Contact: Jim Giaquinto

Company: Zacks.com

Phone: 312-265-9268

Email: pr@zacks.com

Visit: https://www.zacks.com/

Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Published in