Legg Mason (LM) Rallies 41.1% YTD: Is More Upside Left?

Shares of Legg Mason (NYSE:LM) surged nearly 41.1% year to date as compared with the industry’s growth of approximately 15.9%. Strong fundamentals, driven by steady revenue growth, as well as inorganic expansion strategy seem to be the primary reasons for this impressive stock performance.

Further, this Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Ranked stock has been witnessing solid estimate revisions. Over the last 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2020 (ended Mar 31) jumped 4.5% to $3.25 and 3.6% to $3.76 for fiscal 2021.

Moreover, the stock has a stellar earnings surprise history. Legg Mason surpassed estimates, in three of the four trailing quarters, the average beat being 9.51%.

While past performance doesn’t guarantee similar trend in the future, we believe the following factors are enough to support a steady price rally for Legg Mason:

Strategic Acquisitions: Legg Mason has expanded primarily via acquisitions, with majority of its assets under management (AUM) growth being driven by the same. These acquisitions have significantly diversified its product offerings and expanded the company’s market share globally. These investments were in line with the company’s long-term strategy focused on providing investors with choices across investment capability, product and vehicle, and distribution.

Strong Leverage: Legg Mason’s debt/equity ratio is 0.53 compared with the S&P 500 average of 0.71, displaying a relatively lower debt burden. It highlights the financial stability of the company even amid unstable economic environment.

Stock Looks Undervalued: The stock currently has a Value Score of B. The Value Score condenses all valuation metrics into one actionable score that helps investors steer clear of “value traps” and identify stocks that are truly trading at a discount. Our research shows that stocks with a Style Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2, offer the best upside potential.

Other Key Picks

First Business Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBIZ) has been witnessing upward estimate revisions, for the past 60 days. Moreover, this Zacks #1 Ranked stock has rallied more than 20%, year to date. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) has been witnessing upward estimate revisions, for the past 60 days. Also, the company’s shares have gained nearly 10.8% year to date. At present, it carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).

1st Source Corporation (NASDAQ:SRCE) has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the past 60 days. Additionally, the stock has jumped around 10.5% year to date. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential

The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.

Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +98%, +119% and +164% in as little as 1 month. The stocks in this report could perform even better.

See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>