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 Lear Corporation (LEA Quick QuoteLEA - 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, Lear Corporation has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 10.53, 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 19.89. Further, if we focus on the long-term PE trend, Lear Corporation’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 11.02 over the past five years. Moreover, the current level stands considerably below than the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.



Further, the stock’s PE also stands slightly below the Zacks classified Auto – Tires – Trucks sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 10.98. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Lear Corporation has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.89, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Lear Corporation 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, Lear Corporation has a P/S ratio of about 0.55. This is well below the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 2.97 right now, as reflected in the chart below.



Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Lear Corporation currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Lear Corporation a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for Lear Corporation is just 1.11, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.17. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 7.28, which is marginally lower than the industry average of 7.97. Clearly, LEA is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Lear Corporation 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 ‘C’. This gives LEA 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. Both the current quarter and full year have seen two estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to one downward revision each.

This has had a negative impact on the consensus estimate though, as the current quarter consensus estimate has dropped by 0.9% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

While the near term estimates for Lear Corporation appear bearish, the stock has a long term expected earnings growth of 8.9% and carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). These mixed expectations indicate that while the stock’s growth story might be good over the long term, analysts have some apprehensions about the stock in the immediate future. Thus, we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Lear Corporation 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 (Bottom 26% out of over 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 Auto/Truck – Original Equipment 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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