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Can Value Investors Choose L3Harris Technologies (LHX) Stock?
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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 L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX - 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, L3Harris Technologies has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.03, 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 27.83. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, L3Harris Technologies’ current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 20.15) over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Aerospace sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 54.47. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that L3Harris Technologies has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.41, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for L3Harris Technologies 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, L3Harris Technologies has a P/S ratio of about 2.16. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.93x 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, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, L3Harris Technologies currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes L3Harris Technologies a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for L3Harris Technologies is just 1.66, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 1.92. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, LHX is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though L3Harris Technologies 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 Score of B and a Momentum Score of D. This gives LHX 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 dismal at best. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to four lower, while the full year estimate has seen two up and four down in the same time period.
This has had just a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 5.6% 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 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
L3Harris Technologies is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (among Bottom 13% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks Aerospace – Defense industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
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 $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 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.
Image: Bigstock
Can Value Investors Choose L3Harris Technologies (LHX) Stock?
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 L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX - 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, L3Harris Technologies has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.03, 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 27.83. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, L3Harris Technologies’ current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 20.15) over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Aerospace sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 54.47. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that L3Harris Technologies has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.41, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for L3Harris Technologies 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, L3Harris Technologies has a P/S ratio of about 2.16. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.93x 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, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, L3Harris Technologies currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes L3Harris Technologies a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for L3Harris Technologies is just 1.66, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 1.92. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, LHX is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though L3Harris Technologies 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 Score of B and a Momentum Score of D. This gives LHX 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 dismal at best. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to four lower, while the full year estimate has seen two up and four down in the same time period.
This has had just a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 5.6% 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:
L3Harris Technologies Inc Price and Consensus
L3Harris Technologies Inc price-consensus-chart | L3Harris Technologies Inc 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
L3Harris Technologies is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (among Bottom 13% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks Aerospace – Defense industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
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 $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 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 >>