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Should Value Investors Pick Ituran Location and Control (ITRN) Stock?
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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 Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (ITRN - 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, Ituran Location and Control has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.32, 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 18.23. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Ituran Location and Control’s current PE ratio slightly below its midpoint (which is 16.93) over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Industrial Products sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 17.62. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Ituran Location and Control has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.54, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Ituran Location and Control’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, Ituran Location and Control has a P/S ratio of about 2.96. This is considerably lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.31 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Ituran Location and Control currently has a Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes ITRN a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Ituran Location and Control is just 0.72, a level that is considerably lower than the industry average of 1.82. 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 11.30, which is slightly better than the industry average of 11.43. Clearly, ITRN is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Ituran Location and Control 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 ITRN a 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 current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has also seen a similar trend in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has nudged up 1.4% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched up 0.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Ituran Location and Control Ltd. Price and Consensus
Despite this somewhat positive trend, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Ituran Location and Control 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 36% 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 broader industry has clearly underperformed the market at large, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for industry trends to turn favorable in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Is Your Investment Advisor Fumbling Your Financial Future?
See how you can more effectively safeguard your retirement with a new Special Report, “4 Warning Signs Your Investment Advisor Might Be Sabotaging Your Financial Future.”
Image: Bigstock
Should Value Investors Pick Ituran Location and Control (ITRN) Stock?
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 Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (ITRN - 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, Ituran Location and Control has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 14.32, 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 18.23. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Ituran Location and Control’s current PE ratio slightly below its midpoint (which is 16.93) over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Industrial Products sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 17.62. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Ituran Location and Control has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 11.54, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Ituran Location and Control’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, Ituran Location and Control has a P/S ratio of about 2.96. This is considerably lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.31 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Ituran Location and Control currently has a Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes ITRN a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Ituran Location and Control is just 0.72, a level that is considerably lower than the industry average of 1.82. 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 11.30, which is slightly better than the industry average of 11.43. Clearly, ITRN is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Ituran Location and Control 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 ITRN a 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 current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has also seen a similar trend in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has nudged up 1.4% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched up 0.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Ituran Location and Control Ltd. Price and Consensus
Ituran Location and Control Ltd. Price and Consensus | Ituran Location and Control Ltd. Quote
Despite this somewhat positive trend, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Ituran Location and Control 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 36% 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 broader industry has clearly underperformed the market at large, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for industry trends to turn favorable in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Is Your Investment Advisor Fumbling Your Financial Future?
See how you can more effectively safeguard your retirement with a new Special Report, “4 Warning Signs Your Investment Advisor Might Be Sabotaging Your Financial Future.”
Click to get it free >>