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Is Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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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 Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM - 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.7, 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 19.9. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Archer-Daniels-Midland’s current PE ratio marginally above its midpoint (which is 17.4) over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Archer-Daniels-Midland has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.7, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Archer-Daniels-Midland’s 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a P/S ratio of about 0.4. This is substantially lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.3 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland currently has a Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes ADM a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Archer-Daniels-Midland 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 F and a Momentum score of A. This gives ADM a VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of C. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days and one lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and no downward revisions in the same time period.
This has had a favorable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has increased nearly 10.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen about 4.1%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Archer Daniels Midland Company Price and Consensus
Even though Archer-Daniels-Midland has a better estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Archer-Daniels-Midland is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (top 12% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. However, with a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past one year, the sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
Despite positive estimate revision activity, investors should wait for industry trends to turn around first. When it does, this stock could be a compelling value pick.
5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now
Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.
New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.
Image: Bigstock
Is Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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 Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM - 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.7, 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 19.9. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Archer-Daniels-Midland’s current PE ratio marginally above its midpoint (which is 17.4) over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Archer-Daniels-Midland has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.7, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Archer-Daniels-Midland’s 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a P/S ratio of about 0.4. This is substantially lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.3 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland 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, Archer-Daniels-Midland currently has a Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes ADM a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Archer-Daniels-Midland 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 F and a Momentum score of A. This gives ADM a VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of C. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days and one lower, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and no downward revisions in the same time period.
This has had a favorable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has increased nearly 10.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen about 4.1%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Archer Daniels Midland Company Price and Consensus
Archer Daniels Midland Company Price and Consensus | Archer Daniels Midland Company Quote
Even though Archer-Daniels-Midland has a better estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Archer-Daniels-Midland is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (top 12% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. However, with a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past one year, the sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
Despite positive estimate revision activity, investors should wait for industry trends to turn around first. When it does, this stock could be a compelling value pick.
5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now
Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.
New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.
Click here to see the 5 stocks >>