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 United Insurance Holdings Corp. 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, United Insurance has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.48, 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 19.88. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, United Insurance’s current PE level puts it slightly above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Insurance - Property and Casualty industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.23. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that United Insurance has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 8.74, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for United Insurance 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, United Insurance has a P/S ratio of about 0.76. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.25 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, UIHC 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, United Insurance 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 United Insurance a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for United Insurance is just 0.44, a level that is relatively lower than the industry average of 1.62. 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 2.90, which is far better than the industry average of 7.42. Clearly, UIHC is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though United Insurance 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 ‘B’ and a Momentum score of ‘B’. This gives UIHC 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 consensus estimate trend has been somewhat disappointing. The current quarter has seen no estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen no upwardrevisions and two downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, t the consensus estimate for the current quarter declined 30.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate dipped 21.95%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart:
United Insurance Holdings Corp. Price and Consensus
United Insurance Holdings Corp. Price and Consensus | United Insurance Holdings Corp. Quote
This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term
Bottom Line
United Insurance is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Despite having a Zacks Rank #3, the stock belongs to an industry which is ranked among the Top 33%, which indicates that broader factors are favorable for the company. Further, over the past two year, the Zacks classified Insurance - Property and Casualty industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
However, given the negative trend in earnings estimate revisions, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
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How would you like to see our best recommendations to help you find today’s most promising long-term stocks? Starting now, you can look inside our portfolios featuring stocks under $10, income stocks, value investments and more. These picks, which have double and triple-digit profit potential, are rarely available to the public. But you can see them now. Click here >>
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Is United Insurance a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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 United Insurance Holdings Corp. 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, United Insurance has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.48, 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 19.88. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, United Insurance’s current PE level puts it slightly above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Insurance - Property and Casualty industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.23. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that United Insurance has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 8.74, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for United Insurance 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, United Insurance has a P/S ratio of about 0.76. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.25 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, UIHC 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, United Insurance 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 United Insurance a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for United Insurance is just 0.44, a level that is relatively lower than the industry average of 1.62. 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 2.90, which is far better than the industry average of 7.42. Clearly, UIHC is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though United Insurance 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 ‘B’ and a Momentum score of ‘B’. This gives UIHC 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 consensus estimate trend has been somewhat disappointing. The current quarter has seen no estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen no upwardrevisions and two downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, t the consensus estimate for the current quarter declined 30.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate dipped 21.95%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart:
United Insurance Holdings Corp. Price and Consensus
United Insurance Holdings Corp. Price and Consensus | United Insurance Holdings Corp. Quote
This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term
Bottom Line
United Insurance is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Despite having a Zacks Rank #3, the stock belongs to an industry which is ranked among the Top 33%, which indicates that broader factors are favorable for the company. Further, over the past two year, the Zacks classified Insurance - Property and Casualty industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
However, given the negative trend in earnings estimate revisions, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Zacks' Top Investment Ideas for Long-Term Profit
How would you like to see our best recommendations to help you find today’s most promising long-term stocks? Starting now, you can look inside our portfolios featuring stocks under $10, income stocks, value investments and more. These picks, which have double and triple-digit profit potential, are rarely available to the public. But you can see them now. Click here >>