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Is Wyndham a Great Stock for Value Investors?

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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 Wyndham Worldwide Corporation 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, Wyndham has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.25, 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 19.93. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Wyndham’s current PE ratio a little below its mid-point over the past couple months.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Hotels and Motels industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 23.43. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Wyndham has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 12.40, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path  may be ahead for Wyndham 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, Wyndham has a P/S ratio of about 1.51. This is fairly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 2.98 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, WYN 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, Wyndham 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 Wyndham a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the P/CF ratio for Wyndham comes in at 9.57, which is far better than the industry average of 12.51. Clearly, WYN is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.  

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Wyndham 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 ‘D’ and a Momentum score of ‘B’. This gives WYN a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘B’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to one lower, while the full year estimate has seen no upward and one downward revision in the same time period.

Current quarter consensus estimate have remained flat in the past two months, the full year estimate has inched lower by a mere 0.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Wyndham Worldwide Corp Price and Consensus

 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp Price and Consensus | Wyndham Worldwide Corp Quote

This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Wyndham is an inspired choice for value investors, as the company has a pretty impressive industry rank (among the Top 23%) and a Zack Rank #3.

Moreover, over the past one year, the Zacks Hotel & Motels industry 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.

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