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Should Value Investors Consider DaVita (DVA) Stock Now?
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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 DaVita Inc. (DVA - 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, DaVita has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.4, 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 17.6. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, DaVita’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 18.7 over the past five years, with the metric facing significant instability over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Medical Care sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 17.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that DaVita has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.4, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for DVA 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, DaVita has a P/S ratio of about 0.8. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.2x 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, DVA is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, DaVita currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes DaVita a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for DaVita is just 0.5, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.9. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, DVA is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though DaVita 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 C and a Momentum Score of D. This gives DVA 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 downbeat. The current quarter has seen four estimates go down in the past sixty days compared no movement in the other direction. The full year estimate has seen five down and one up over the same time period.
This has had an impact on the consensus estimate as the current quarter consensus estimate has declined 8.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has slumped 5.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Despite the bearish analyst sentiments, the stock holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Thus, we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term
Bottom Line
DaVita 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 36% of more than 250 industries) boosts our confidence. However, over the past two years, the 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.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, wouldn't you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 – 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%.
This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs.
Image: Bigstock
Should Value Investors Consider DaVita (DVA) 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 DaVita Inc. (DVA - 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, DaVita has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.4, 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 17.6. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, DaVita’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 18.7 over the past five years, with the metric facing significant instability over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Medical Care sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 17.8. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that DaVita has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.4, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for DVA 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, DaVita has a P/S ratio of about 0.8. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.2x 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, DVA is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, DaVita currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes DaVita a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for DaVita is just 0.5, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.9. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, DVA is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though DaVita 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 C and a Momentum Score of D. This gives DVA 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 downbeat. The current quarter has seen four estimates go down in the past sixty days compared no movement in the other direction. The full year estimate has seen five down and one up over the same time period.
This has had an impact on the consensus estimate as the current quarter consensus estimate has declined 8.7% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has slumped 5.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
DaVita Inc. Price and Consensus
DaVita Inc. Price and Consensus | DaVita Inc. Quote
Despite the bearish analyst sentiments, the stock holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Thus, we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term
Bottom Line
DaVita 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 36% of more than 250 industries) boosts our confidence. However, over the past two years, the 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.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, wouldn't you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 – 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%.
This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs.
See Stocks Today >>