The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Low PE Investor model based on the published strategy of John Neff. This strategy looks for firms with persistent earnings growth that trade at a discount relative to their earnings growth and dividend yield.
LIBERTY SIRIUS XM GROUP (LSXMA) is a large-cap growth stock in the Broadcasting & Cable TV industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Liberty Media Corporation owns interests in subsidiaries and other companies, which are engaged in the media and entertainment industries. The Company's principal businesses and assets include its consolidated subsidiaries Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (SIRIUS XM) and Braves Holdings, LLC (Braves Holdings), and its equity affiliate Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (Live Nation). The Company's segments are SIRIUS XM, and Corporate and other. SIRIUS XM provides a subscription-based satellite radio service. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, the Company principally operates in North America. The Company also owns a portfolio of minority equity investments in publicly traded media companies, including Time Warner, Inc. and Viacom, Inc. SIRIUS XM transmits music, sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic and weather channels, as well as infotainment services, in the United States on a subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of LIBERTY SIRIUS XM GROUP
NVENT ELECTRIC PLC (NVT) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 40% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: nVent Electric plc is a global provider of electrical connection and protection solutions. The Company designs, manufactures, markets, installs and services products and solutions that connect and protect equipment, buildings and critical processes. The Company's portfolio of brands include CADDY, ERICO, HOFFMAN, RAYCHEM, SCHROFF and TRACER. The Company operates through three segments: Enclosures, Thermal Management, and Electrical & Fastening Solutions. The Enclosures segment provides solutions that protect, connect and manage heat in electronics, communication, control, and power equipment. The Thermal Management segment provides electric thermal solutions that connect and protect critical buildings, infrastructure, industrial processes and people. The Electrical & Fastening Solutions segment provides fastening solutions that connect and protect electrical and mechanical systems and civil structures.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of NVENT ELECTRIC PLC
COSAN LTD (USA) (CZZ) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Oil & Gas Operations industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 62% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Cosan Limited (Cosan) is a holding company. The Company's segments include Raizen Energia, Raizen Combustiveis, COMGAS, Cosan Logistica, Lubricants and Other business. The Company's other business include other investments, in addition to the corporate activities. The Company offers Logistics services, including transportation, port loading and storage of sugar, leasing or lending of locomotives, wagons and other railway equipment, through its subsidiaries Rumo Logistica Operadora Multimodal S.A. (Rumo), logistic segment (Logistic). The Company is also engaged in production and distribution of lubricants, through its indirect subsidiaries Cosan Lubrificantes e Especialidades S.A. (Moove) and Comma Oil & Chemicals Ltd. (Comma), under the Mobil licensed trademark in Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay, in addition to the European and Asian market using the Comma brand and corporate activities (Lubricants).
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of COSAN LTD (USA)
HARBORONE BANCORP INC (HONE) is a small-cap growth stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: HarborOne Bancorp, Inc. is a mid-tier stock holding company. The Company's principal subsidiary is HarborOne Bank (the Bank), a state chartered co-operative bank whose primary subsidiary is a residential mortgage company, Merrimack Mortgage Company, LLC (Merrimack Mortgage). The Company operates through two segments: HarborOne Bank and Merrimack Mortgage. The Bank segment provides consumer and business banking products and services to customers. Consumer products include loan and deposit products, and business banking products include loans for working capital, inventory and general corporate use, commercial real estate construction loans and deposit accounts. The Merrimack Mortgage segment consists of originating residential mortgage loans primarily for sale in the secondary market. The Company's subsidiary, Legion Parkway Company LLC, is a security company.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | FAIL |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of HARBORONE BANCORP INC
ARTISAN PARTNERS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC (APAM) is a mid-cap value stock in the Investment Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. is an investment management company. The Company provides a range of the United States, non-United States and global investment strategies, each of which is managed by one of its investment teams. The Company provides investment management services to separate accounts, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. The Company offers its investment management services primarily to institutions and through intermediaries that operate with institutional-like decision-making processes and have long-term investment horizons. The Company provides clients with multiple equity investment strategies spanning market capitalization segments and investing styles in both the United States and non-United States markets. The Company also offers one fixed income strategy, the Artisan High Income strategy. Each strategy is managed by one of the investment teams.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | FAIL |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of ARTISAN PARTNERS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC
GAMING AND LEISURE PROPERTIES INC (GLPI) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Real Estate Operations industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 62% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI) is a self-administered and self-managed Pennsylvania real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple net lease arrangements. The Company's segments include GLP Capital, L.P. (GLP Capital), a subsidiary of GLPI, through which the Company owns all of its real estate assets, and the TRS Properties, which consists of Hollywood Casino Perryville and Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge. The Company has 41 rental properties, consisting of the real property associated with 32 gaming and related facilities operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Penn), the real property associated with five gaming and related facilities operated by Eldorado, the real property associated with three gaming and related facilities operated by Boyd and the real property associated with the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of GAMING AND LEISURE PROPERTIES INC
COMFORT SYSTEMS USA, INC. (FIX) is a small-cap value stock in the Construction Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Comfort Systems USA, Inc. is a provider of mechanical contracting services, which principally includes heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, piping and controls, as well as off-site construction, electrical, monitoring and fire protection. The Company has 38 operating units in 72 cities and 86 locations throughout the United States. The Company operates primarily in the commercial, industrial and institutional HVAC markets and offers services in the industrial, healthcare, education, office, technology, retail and government facilities. The Company provides a range of construction, renovation, expansion, maintenance, repair and replacement services for mechanical and related systems in commercial, industrial and institutional properties. The Company also provides remote monitoring of temperature, pressure, humidity and air flow for HVAC systems.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of COMFORT SYSTEMS USA, INC.
UMB FINANCIAL CORP (UMBF) is a mid-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 62% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: UMB Financial Corporation is a diversified financial holding company. The Company supplies banking services, institutional investment management, asset servicing and payment solutions to its customers in the United States and around the globe. The Company's segments include Bank, which provides a range of banking services to commercial, retail, government and correspondent bank customers through the Company's branches, call center, Internet banking and automated teller machine network; Institutional Investment Management, which provides equity and fixed income investment strategies in the intermediary and institutional markets, and Asset Servicing, which provides services to the asset management industry, supporting a range of investment products, including mutual funds, alternative investments and managed accounts. The Company's subsidiary includes UMB Fund Services, Inc. (UMBFS).
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of UMB FINANCIAL CORP
VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP (VLY) is a mid-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Valley National Bancorp is the bank holding company for Valley National Bank (the Bank). The Bank provides a range of commercial, retail, insurance and wealth management financial services products. The Company's segments include Consumer Lending, Commercial Lending, Investment Management, and Corporate and Other Adjustments. The Consumer Lending segment primarily includes residential mortgages, home equity loans and automobile loans. The Commercial Lending segment primarily includes floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans, as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. The Investment Management segment includes the Company's investments in various types of securities. As of July 26, 2017, the Bank operated 200 branch locations serving northern and central New Jersey, the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, and Florida.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | FAIL |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC. (ALGN) is a large-cap value stock in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Align Technology, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets a system of clear aligner therapy, intra-oral scanners and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) digital services used in dentistry, orthodontics and dental records storage. The Company operates through two segments: Clear Aligner segment and Scanner and Services (Scanner) segment. The Clear Aligner segment consists of its Invisalign System, which includes Invisalign Full, Teen and Assist (Comprehensive Products), Express/Lite (Non-Comprehensive Products) and Vivera Retainers, along with its training and ancillary products for treating malocclusion (Non-Case). The Scanner segment consists of intra-oral scanning systems and other services available with the intra-oral scanners that provide digital alternatives to the traditional cast models. The Scanner segment includes its iTero scanner and OrthoCAD services.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
More details on Validea's John Neff strategy
About John Neff: While known as the manager with whom many top managers entrusted their own money, Neff was far from the smooth-talking, high-profile Wall Streeter you might expect. He was mild-mannered and low-key, and the same might be said of the Windsor Fund that he managed for more than three decades. In fact, Neff himself described the fund as "relatively prosaic, dull, [and] conservative." There was nothing dull about his results, however. From 1964 to 1995, Neff guided Windsor to a 13.7 percent average annual return, easily outpacing the S&P 500's 10.6 percent return during that time. That 3.1 percentage point difference is huge over time -- a $10,000 investment in Windsor (with dividends reinvested) at the start of Neff's tenure would have ended up as more than $564,000 by the time he retired, more than twice what the same investment in the S&P would have yielded (about $233,000). Considering the length of his tenure, that track record may be the best ever for a manager of such a large fund.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
