Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Value Investors Pick Valeo S.A. (VLEEY) Stock?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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 Valeo S.A. (VLEEY - 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, Valeo S.A. has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.93, 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 compares in at about 20.18. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Valeo S.A.’s current PE ratio slightly above its midpoint (which is 14.34) over the past five years.

However, the stock’s PE compares unfavorably with the Zacks classified Auto-Tires-Trucks sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 11.09. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.

Nonetheless, we should also point out that Valeo S.A. has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 14.21, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for VLEEY 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, Valeo S.A. has a P/S ratio of about 0.85. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.06 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, VLEEY is towards the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Valeo S.A. currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘B’, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes VLEEY a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for VLEEY is just 1.09, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.15. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, VLEEY is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Valeo S.A. 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 ‘A’ and a Momentum score of ‘A’. This gives VLEEY 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 encouraging. The full-year 2017 has seen two estimates go higher in the past sixty days, compared to none lower, while the full-year 2018 estimate has seen one upward revision and no downward revision in the same time period.

This has had a favorable impact on the consensus estimate, as the full-year 2017 consensus estimate has risen by 8.6% in the past two months, while the full-year 2018 estimate has increased 2.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Valeo S.A. Price and Consensus

 

Valeo S.A. Price and Consensus | Valeo S.A. Quote

This bullish trend is why the stock boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and why we are expecting outperformance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Valeo S.A. is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. With a formidable industry rank (top 8% out of more than 250 industries) and top Zacks Rank, VLEEY looks like a strong value contender. In fact, over the past one year, Zacks Auto-Truck-Original Equipment sector has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Valeo S.A. (VLEEY) - free report >>

Published in