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 Peoples United Financial, Inc. 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, Peoples United Financial has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.23, as you can see in the chart below:
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This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 27.19. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Peoples United Financial’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 14.06) 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 Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 21.3. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Peoples United Financial has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.26, which is higher than the current level. So, it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near term.
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, Peoples United Financial has a P/S ratio of about 3.6. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.79x 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, Peoples United Financial currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Peoples United Financial a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 7.97, which is far better than the industry average of 11.78. Clearly, PBCT is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Peoples United Financial 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 D and a Momentum Score of A. This gives AAPL 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 mixed at best. The full quarter has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the next year estimate has seen one up and two down in the same time period.
This has had just a small impact on the consensus estimate though as the full quarter consensus estimate has risen by 1.6% in the past two months, while the next year estimate has inched lower by 1.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Peoples United Financial, Inc. 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
Peoples United Financial is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Further, a strong industry rank (among Top 11% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. However, over the past two years, the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan 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.
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Should Value Investors Pick Peoples United Financial (PBCT) Stock Now?
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 Peoples United Financial, Inc. 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, Peoples United Financial has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.23, 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 27.19. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Peoples United Financial’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 14.06) 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 Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 21.3. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Peoples United Financial has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.26, which is higher than the current level. So, it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near term.
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, Peoples United Financial has a P/S ratio of about 3.6. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.79x 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, Peoples United Financial currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Peoples United Financial a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 7.97, which is far better than the industry average of 11.78. Clearly, PBCT is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Peoples United Financial 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 D and a Momentum Score of A. This gives AAPL 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 mixed at best. The full quarter has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the next year estimate has seen one up and two down in the same time period.
This has had just a small impact on the consensus estimate though as the full quarter consensus estimate has risen by 1.6% in the past two months, while the next year estimate has inched lower by 1.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Peoples United Financial, Inc. Price and Consensus
Peoples United Financial, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Peoples United Financial, Inc. Quote
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
Peoples United Financial is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Further, a strong industry rank (among Top 11% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. However, over the past two years, the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan 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.
Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America
A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.
The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”
Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.
Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>