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Should Value Investors Buy H&E Equipment Services (HEES) Stock?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is H&E Equipment Services (HEES - Free Report) . HEES is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 11.31. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 14.72. Over the past year, HEES's Forward P/E has been as high as 13.82 and as low as 7.96, with a median of 10.31.

We also note that HEES holds a PEG ratio of 0.84. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. HEES's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.39. Over the last 12 months, HEES's PEG has been as high as 1.39 and as low as 0.40, with a median of 0.87.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is HEES's P/B ratio of 3.72. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 6.45. Within the past 52 weeks, HEES's P/B has been as high as 5.05 and as low as 2.85, with a median of 3.61.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that HEES has a P/CF ratio of 3.51. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 10.12. HEES's P/CF has been as high as 4.63 and as low as 2.53, with a median of 3.22, all within the past year.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in H&E Equipment Services's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, HEES looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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