Back to top

Image: Bigstock

North American Construction (NOA) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Have you been paying attention to shares of North American Construction Group (NOA - Free Report) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 22.6% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $12.68 in the previous session. North American Construction Group has gained 27.3% since the start of the year compared to the 8.4% move for the Zacks Construction sector and the 13.7% return for the Zacks Building Products - Heavy Construction industry.

What's Driving the Outperformance?

The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on February 17, 2021, North American Construction reported EPS of $0.28 versus consensus estimate of $0.22.

For the current fiscal year, North American Construction is expected to post earnings of $1.42 per share on $567.91 million in revenues. This represents a 10.85% change in EPS on a 51.52% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $1.52 per share on $684.46 million in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 6.99% and 20.52%, respectively.

Valuation Metrics

North American Construction may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.

On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.

North American Construction has a Value Score of A. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are A and F, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of A.

In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 8.8X current fiscal year EPS estimates. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 3.8X versus its peer group's average of 8.5X. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.

Zacks Rank

We also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, North American Construction currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.

Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if North American Construction meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though North American Construction shares could still be poised for more gains ahead.

How Does North American Construction Stack Up to the Competition?

Shares of North American Construction have been moving higher, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? Some of its industry peers are also looking good, including Orion Group Holdings (ORN - Free Report) , Primoris Services (PRIM - Free Report) , and Cavco Industries (CVCO - Free Report) , all of which currently have a Zacks Rank of at least #2 and a VGM Score of at least B, making them well-rounded choices.

The Zacks Industry Rank is in the top 40% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for North American Construction, even beyond its own solid fundamental situation.

Published in