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 Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) 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, Masco has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.17, 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 18.17. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Masco’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years.
However, the stock’s PE compares unfavorably with the Zacks Construction sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 14.36. This indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Masco has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 15.22, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Masco 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, Masco has a P/S ratio of about 1.44. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.31 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, MAS is near the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of overvalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Masco currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Masco a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Masco 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 a Momentum Score of F. This gives MAS a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of B. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been disappointing. The current year has seen three estimates go lower in the past sixty days compared to one higher, while the full year 2020 estimate has seen two down and three up in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current year consensus estimate has declined by 1.1% in the past two months, while the full year 2020 estimate has remained unchanged. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Despite the bearish analyst sentiments, the stock holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Thus, we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Masco is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible line up of statistics on this front.
However, with a sluggish industry rank (among bottom 30% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks Building Products Miscellaneous industry has clearly underperformed the market at large, 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.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.
Masco Corporation (MAS): Free Stock Analysis Report
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