Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Value Investors Pick Albemarle (ALB) Stock Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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 Albemarle Corporation (ALB - 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, Albemarle has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 19.3, as you can see in the chart below:


This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.4. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Albemarle’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. 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 also compares unfavorably with its industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.5. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.

 
We should also point out that Albemarle has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 18.1, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for the 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, Albemarle has a P/S ratio of about 3.25. This is somewhat lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.28 right now.



If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Albemarle 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 ALB a good choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for the stock is just 1.1, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.4. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Albemarle 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 A. This gives ALB 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 year has seen four upward estimate revision in the past sixty days compared to two downward, while the next year estimate has also seen four upward and one downward revisions in the same time frame.

As a result, the current year consensus estimate increased 0.4% in the past two months, while the next year estimate has decreased by 0.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Albemarle Corporation Price and Consensus

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

Albemarle’s is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its good lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, with a decent industry rank (top 21% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. However, over the past six months, its industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:



Despite the poor past performance of the industry, a good industry rank signals that the stock is likely to benefit from favorable broader factors in the immediate future. 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.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>
 


Unique Zacks Analysis of Your Chosen Ticker


Pick one free report - opportunity may be withdrawn at any time


Albemarle Corporation (ALB) - $25 value - yours FREE >>

Published in