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Is Standard Motor (SMP) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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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 Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP - 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, Standard Motor has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.88, 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 20.19. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Standard Motor’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.98. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Standard Motor has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 13.92, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Standard Motor 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, Standard Motor has a P/S ratio of about 1.02. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.51 right now. As we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
SMP is actually in the higher zone of its trading range in the time period per the P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Standard Motor currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Standard Motor a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Standard Motor is 1.27, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.32. 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 13.18, which is better than the industry average of 13.30. Clearly, SMP is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Standard Motor 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 D. This gives SMP a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company has not witnessed any estimate revisions off late. Year 2019 as well as 2020 has seen zero upward and zero downward revisions in the past sixty days.
As a result, the consensus estimate for 2019 has remained unchanged in the past two months, while the 2020 estimate has inched lower by 0.9%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Standard Motor 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 45% 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 two years, the industry has 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.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers “Most Likely for Early Price Pops.”
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention.
Image: Bigstock
Is Standard Motor (SMP) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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?
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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 Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP - 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, Standard Motor has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.88, 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 20.19. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Standard Motor’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.98. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Standard Motor has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 13.92, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Standard Motor 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, Standard Motor has a P/S ratio of about 1.02. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.51 right now. As we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
SMP is actually in the higher zone of its trading range in the time period per the P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Standard Motor currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Standard Motor a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Standard Motor is 1.27, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.32. 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 13.18, which is better than the industry average of 13.30. Clearly, SMP is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Standard Motor 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 D. This gives SMP a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company has not witnessed any estimate revisions off late. Year 2019 as well as 2020 has seen zero upward and zero downward revisions in the past sixty days.
As a result, the consensus estimate for 2019 has remained unchanged in the past two months, while the 2020 estimate has inched lower by 0.9%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Standard Motor Products, Inc. Price and Consensus
Standard Motor Products, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Standard Motor Products, Inc. Quote
This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Standard Motor 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 45% 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 two years, the industry has 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.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers “Most Likely for Early Price Pops.”
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention.
See 7 handpicked stocks now >>