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Should Value Investors Choose L.B. Foster (FSTR) 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 L.B. Foster Company (FSTR - 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, L.B. Foster has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 10.05, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 18.09. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, L.B. Foster’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 13.55 over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months. However, the current level stands below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it can be a solid entry point.
Moreover, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Basic Materials Market sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 14.16. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that L.B. Foster has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 8.76, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for L.B. Foster’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, L.B. Foster has a P/S ratio of about 0.3. This is much lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.19 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.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, L.B. Foster currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes L.B. Foster a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though L.B. Foster 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 A and Momentum Score of C. This gives FSTR 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 encouraging. The current year estimate witnessed one upward revision in the past sixty days compared to no downward revision, while the full year 2020 estimate also witnessed one upward revision compared to no downward revision in the same time period.
As a result, the current year consensus estimate increased 12.4% in the past two months, whereas the full year 2020 estimate increased 6.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Notably, the stock with a solid earnings surprise history sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), which is why we are looking for outperformance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
L.B. Foster is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Furthermore, the Zacks Rank #1 indicates that the broader factors are favorable for the company.
So, value investors might want to delve deeper in this stock as it appears to be a compelling pick.
It’s Illegal in 42 States, But Investors Will Make Billions Legally
In addition to the companies you read about above, today you get details on the newly-legalized industry that’s tapping into a “habit” that Americans spend an estimated $150 billion on every year.
That’s twice as much as they spend on marijuana, legally or otherwise.
Zacks special report revealing how investors can profit from this new opportunity. As more states legalize this activity, the industry could expand by as much as 15X. Zacks’ has just released a Special Report revealing 5 top stocks to watch in this space.
Image: Bigstock
Should Value Investors Choose L.B. Foster (FSTR) 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 L.B. Foster Company (FSTR - 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, L.B. Foster has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 10.05, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 18.09. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, L.B. Foster’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 13.55 over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months. However, the current level stands below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it can be a solid entry point.
Moreover, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Basic Materials Market sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 14.16. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that L.B. Foster has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 8.76, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for L.B. Foster’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, L.B. Foster has a P/S ratio of about 0.3. This is much lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.19 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.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, L.B. Foster currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes L.B. Foster a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though L.B. Foster 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 A and Momentum Score of C. This gives FSTR 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 encouraging. The current year estimate witnessed one upward revision in the past sixty days compared to no downward revision, while the full year 2020 estimate also witnessed one upward revision compared to no downward revision in the same time period.
As a result, the current year consensus estimate increased 12.4% in the past two months, whereas the full year 2020 estimate increased 6.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
L.B. Foster Company Price and Consensus
L.B. Foster Company price-consensus-chart | L.B. Foster Company Quote
Notably, the stock with a solid earnings surprise history sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), which is why we are looking for outperformance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
L.B. Foster is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Furthermore, the Zacks Rank #1 indicates that the broader factors are favorable for the company.
So, value investors might want to delve deeper in this stock as it appears to be a compelling pick.
It’s Illegal in 42 States, But Investors Will Make Billions Legally
In addition to the companies you read about above, today you get details on the newly-legalized industry that’s tapping into a “habit” that Americans spend an estimated $150 billion on every year.
That’s twice as much as they spend on marijuana, legally or otherwise.
Zacks special report revealing how investors can profit from this new opportunity. As more states legalize this activity, the industry could expand by as much as 15X. Zacks’ has just released a Special Report revealing 5 top stocks to watch in this space.
See these 5 “sin stocks” now>>