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5 Value Stocks With Exciting EV/EBITDA Ratios to Own Now
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The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is the most commonly used tool for evaluating a firm’s value due to its simplicity. A widely favored approach by value investors is to chase stocks that have a low P/E ratio. However, even this broadly used valuation multiple is not without its shortcomings.
Why EV/EBITDA is a Better Choice?
Although P/E enjoys great popularity among value investors, a more complicated metric called EV/EBITDA is sometimes viewed as a better alternative. EV/EBITDA gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earning potential. Additionally, it has a more comprehensive approach to valuation.
EV/EBITDA is essentially the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The first constituent of the ratio, EV, is a firm’s market capitalization plus the market value of its debt and preferred equity minus cash.
The other element, EBITDA, is a true reflection of a company’s profitability as it eliminates non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that dilute net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Just like P/E, the lower the EV/EBITDA ratio, the more appealing it is. A low EV/EBITDA ratio could be a sign that a stock is potentially undervalued.
While P/E just considers a firm’s equity portion, EV/EBITDA determines its total value. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV/EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into consideration. This is also the reason why EV/EBITDA is commonly used to value likely acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks with a low EV/EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
Moreover, P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A company’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV/EBITDA is difficult to manipulate and can also be used to value companies that are making loss but are EBITDA-positive.
EV/EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms with a debt-laden balance sheet and have a high degree of depreciation. It also allows the comparison of companies with different debt levels.
However, EV/EBITDA is also not without its shortcomings and it alone can’t conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and its future performance. The multiple varies across industries (a high-growth industry typically has higher multiple) and is generally not appropriate for comparing stocks in different industries due to their diverse capital requirements.
As such, a strategy solely based on EV/EBITDA might not fetch the desired outcome. But you can combine it with the other major ratios in your stock investing toolbox such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to uncover value stocks.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for value stocks:
EV/EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV/EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio the more attractive the stock is as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median. This is a meaningful indicator as decent earnings growth always adds to investor optimism.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: No screening is complete without the Zacks Rank, which has proven its worth since inception. It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.
Here are five of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:
Synnex Corporation (SNX - Free Report) is a business process services company, which provides business-to-business services that help their customers and business partners grow and enhance their customer-engagement strategies. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 15.8% for the current fiscal year and a Value Score of A.
Newell Brands Inc. (NWL - Free Report) is a global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 29.5% for the current year and a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
First Horizon National Corporation (FHN - Free Report) provides regional banking, wealth management and capital market services through its First Horizon family of companies. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 14.9% for the current year and a Value Score of A.
Qiwi plc (QIWI - Free Report) operates as a provider of next generation payment services primarily in Russia and the CIS. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 63.5% for the current year and a Value Score of A.
AZZ Inc. (AZZ - Free Report) is a global provider of metal coating services, welding solutions, specialty electrical equipment and highly engineered services. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 37.8% for the current fiscal year. It also has a Value Score of B.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
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5 Value Stocks With Exciting EV/EBITDA Ratios to Own Now
The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is the most commonly used tool for evaluating a firm’s value due to its simplicity. A widely favored approach by value investors is to chase stocks that have a low P/E ratio. However, even this broadly used valuation multiple is not without its shortcomings.
Why EV/EBITDA is a Better Choice?
Although P/E enjoys great popularity among value investors, a more complicated metric called EV/EBITDA is sometimes viewed as a better alternative. EV/EBITDA gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earning potential. Additionally, it has a more comprehensive approach to valuation.
EV/EBITDA is essentially the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The first constituent of the ratio, EV, is a firm’s market capitalization plus the market value of its debt and preferred equity minus cash.
The other element, EBITDA, is a true reflection of a company’s profitability as it eliminates non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that dilute net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Just like P/E, the lower the EV/EBITDA ratio, the more appealing it is. A low EV/EBITDA ratio could be a sign that a stock is potentially undervalued.
While P/E just considers a firm’s equity portion, EV/EBITDA determines its total value. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV/EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into consideration. This is also the reason why EV/EBITDA is commonly used to value likely acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks with a low EV/EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
Moreover, P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A company’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV/EBITDA is difficult to manipulate and can also be used to value companies that are making loss but are EBITDA-positive.
EV/EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms with a debt-laden balance sheet and have a high degree of depreciation. It also allows the comparison of companies with different debt levels.
However, EV/EBITDA is also not without its shortcomings and it alone can’t conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and its future performance. The multiple varies across industries (a high-growth industry typically has higher multiple) and is generally not appropriate for comparing stocks in different industries due to their diverse capital requirements.
As such, a strategy solely based on EV/EBITDA might not fetch the desired outcome. But you can combine it with the other major ratios in your stock investing toolbox such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to uncover value stocks.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for value stocks:
EV/EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV/EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio the more attractive the stock is as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median. This is a meaningful indicator as decent earnings growth always adds to investor optimism.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: No screening is complete without the Zacks Rank, which has proven its worth since inception. It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.
Here are five of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:
Synnex Corporation (SNX - Free Report) is a business process services company, which provides business-to-business services that help their customers and business partners grow and enhance their customer-engagement strategies. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 15.8% for the current fiscal year and a Value Score of A.
Newell Brands Inc. (NWL - Free Report) is a global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 29.5% for the current year and a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
First Horizon National Corporation (FHN - Free Report) provides regional banking, wealth management and capital market services through its First Horizon family of companies. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 14.9% for the current year and a Value Score of A.
Qiwi plc (QIWI - Free Report) operates as a provider of next generation payment services primarily in Russia and the CIS. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 63.5% for the current year and a Value Score of A.
AZZ Inc. (AZZ - Free Report) is a global provider of metal coating services, welding solutions, specialty electrical equipment and highly engineered services. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 37.8% for the current fiscal year. It also has a Value Score of B.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.