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Is Alaska Air (ALK) 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 Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - 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, Alaska Air has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 12.20, 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 19.89. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Alaska Air’s current PE level puts it slightly below its midpoint over the past five years, with the number remaining more or less stable over the past few months. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
However, the stock’s PE compares slightly unfavorably 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 overvalued right now, compared to its peers.
Nonetheless, we should point out that Alaska Air has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.72, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Alaska Air 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, Alaska Air has a P/S ratio of about 1.66. This is 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 slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
As we can see, the stock is trading somewhere around its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Alaska Air 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 Alaska Air a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Alaska Air is just 0.91, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.19. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, ALK is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Alaska Air 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 ALK 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 mixed at best. The current quarter has seen two estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to four lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and four downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has fallen by 2.5% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
This somewhat bearish 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
Alaska Air is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 21% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. Notably, over the past one year, the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry has outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
However, with a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. So, 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. Moreover, broader factors at the industry level support the growth potential of the company as well.
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.
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Is Alaska Air (ALK) 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 Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - 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, Alaska Air has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 12.20, 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 19.89. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Alaska Air’s current PE level puts it slightly below its midpoint over the past five years, with the number remaining more or less stable over the past few months. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
However, the stock’s PE compares slightly unfavorably 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 overvalued right now, compared to its peers.
Nonetheless, we should point out that Alaska Air has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.72, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Alaska Air 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, Alaska Air has a P/S ratio of about 1.66. This is 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 slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
As we can see, the stock is trading somewhere around its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Alaska Air 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 Alaska Air a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Alaska Air is just 0.91, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.19. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, ALK is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Alaska Air 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 ALK 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 mixed at best. The current quarter has seen two estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to four lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and four downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has fallen by 2.5% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price and Consensus
Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price and Consensus | Alaska Air Group, Inc. Quote
This somewhat bearish 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
Alaska Air is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 21% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. Notably, over the past one year, the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry has outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
However, with a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. So, 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. Moreover, broader factors at the industry level support the growth potential of the company as well.
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 >>