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Should Value Investors Pick OM Asset Management (OMAM) Stock?

Published 01/01/2018, 09:55 PM
Updated 07/09/2023, 06:31 AM

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 OM Asset Management plc (NYSE:OMAM) 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, OM Asset Management has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.0, 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 compares in at about 21.4. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts OM Asset Management’s current PE ratio marginally below its midpoint (which is 11.7) over the past three years.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.9. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that OM Asset Management has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.6, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for OM Asset Management’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, OM Asset Management has a P/S ratio of about 2.2. This is considerably lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, OM Asset Management currently has a Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes OMAM a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for OM Asset Management is just 0.8, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.4. 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 12.8, which is marginally better than the industry average of 12.9. Clearly, OMAM is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though OM Asset Management 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 C and a Momentum score of F. This gives OMAM a 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 encouraging. The full-year 2017 has seen three estimates go higher in the past sixty days, compared to none lower, while the full-year 2018 estimate has seen one upward and no downward revisions in the same time period.

This has had a favorable impact on the consensus estimate, as the full-year 2017 consensus estimate has inched up 0.6% in the past two months, while the full-year 2018 estimate has risen about 1.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Despite having a somewhat bullish trend, OMAM carrries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). This indicates that analysts have some apprehensions about the stock in the immediate future. Thus, we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

OM Asset Management is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a decent industry rank (top 42% 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. Nonetheless, over the past one year, the sector has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, despite a Zacks Rank #3, we believe that bullish analyst sentiment and favorable industry factors make this value stock a compelling pick.

Zacks Editor-in-Chief Goes "All In" on This Stock

Full disclosure, Kevin Matras now has more of his own money in one particular stock than in any other. He believes in its short-term profit potential and also in its prospects to more than double by 2019. Today he reveals and explains his surprising move in a new Special Report.

Download it free >>



OM Asset Management PLC (OMAM): Free Stock Analysis Report

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