Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Here is Why Growth Investors Should Buy Armada Hoffler Properties (AHH) Now

Read MoreHide Full Article

Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. But finding a growth stock that can live up to its true potential can be a tough task.

That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.

However, the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects, makes it pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks.

Armada Hoffler Properties (AHH - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And returns are even better for stocks that possess the combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this real estate company a great growth pick right now.

Earnings Growth

Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Armada Hoffler Properties is 4.7%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 12.3% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 4%.

Impressive Asset Utilization Ratio

Growth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric shows how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, Armada Hoffler Properties has an S/TA ratio of 0.15, which means that the company gets $0.15 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.13, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

While the level of efficiency in generating sales matters a lot, so does the sales growth of a company. And Armada Hoffler Properties is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 17.1% this year versus the industry average of 5.5%.

Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions

Beyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for Armada Hoffler Properties have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.7% over the past month.

Bottom Line

While the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Armada Hoffler Properties a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination positions Armada Hoffler Properties well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (AHH) - free report >>

Published in