Credit: Shutterstock photoThe following are today's upgrades for Validea's Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Martin Zweig . This strategy looks for growth stocks with persistent accelerating earnings and sales growth, reasonable valuations and low debt.
STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP ( SF ) is a mid-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 77% to 85% 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: Stifel Financial Corp. is a financial holding company. Its principal subsidiary is Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, a retail and institutional wealth management and investment banking firm. It operates through three segments: Global Wealth Management, Institutional Group and Other. The Global Wealth Management segment consists of the Private Client Group and Stifel Bank businesses. The Institutional Group segment includes research, equity and fixed income institutional sales and trading, investment banking, public finance and syndicate. The Other segment includes interest income from stock borrow activities and interest income. Its principal activities are private client services, including securities transaction and financial planning services; institutional equity and fixed income sales, trading, research and municipal finance; investment banking services, and retail and commercial banking, including personal and commercial lending programs.
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.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC. ( PFBI ) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 69% to 85% 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: Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc. (Premier) is a multi-bank holding company. The Company's banking subsidiaries (the Banks or Affiliate Banks) consist of Citizens Deposit Bank and Trust, Inc., Vanceburg, Kentucky and Premier Bank, Inc., Huntington, West Virginia. Through the Banks, the Company focuses on providing community banking services to individuals and small-to-medium sized businesses. The Banks provide a range of retail and commercial banking services, including commercial, real estate, agricultural and consumer lending; depository and funds transfer services; collections; safe deposit boxes; cash management services; and other services tailored for both individuals and businesses. The Company operates over nine banking offices in Kentucky, approximately five banking offices in Ohio, over 30 banking offices in West Virginia, approximately four banking offices in Washington, DC, over one banking offices in Maryland and approximately four banking offices in Virginia.
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.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
RADIAN GROUP INC ( RDN ) is a mid-cap value stock in the Insurance (Prop. & Casualty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 69% to 85% 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: Radian Group Inc. is an insurance holding company that provides mortgage insurance, and products and services to the real estate and mortgage finance industries. The Company operates in two segments: Mortgage Insurance and Services. The Mortgage Insurance segment provides credit-related insurance coverage, principally through private mortgage insurance to mortgage lending institutions. The Services segment provides outsourced services, information-based analytics valuations and specialty consulting and surveillance services for buyers and sellers of, and investors in, mortgage- and real estate-related loans and securities, as well as other asset-backed securities (ABS). It also offers mortgage insurance products, such as primary mortgage insurance and pool insurance. Its Services segment is engaged in offering businesses, such as loan review and due diligence, and surveillance, including residential mortgage-backed securities ( RMBS ) surveillance and loan servicer oversight.
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.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
FLEETCOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ( FLT ) is a large-cap growth stock in the Business Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 77% to 85% 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: FleetCor Technologies, Inc. is a provider of workforce payment products. The Company offers fuel card payments product solutions, corporate payments products, toll products, lodging cards and gift cards. The Company operates through two segments: North America and International. Its products are sold to businesses, retailers, oil companies and marketers and government entities. Its payment programs enable its customers to manage and control their commercial payments, card programs, and employee spending and provide card-accepting merchants with a customer base that can increase their sales and customer loyalty. The Company also provides a suite of fleet related and workforce payment products, including mobile telematics services, fleet maintenance management and employee benefit and transportation related payments. As of December 31, 2016, its products were used in 53 countries around the world, with its primary geographies in the United States, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
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.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
CDW CORP (CDW) is a large-cap growth stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 54% to 85% 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: CDW Corporation (CDW) is a provider of integrated information technology (IT) solutions in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Company's segments include Corporate, Public and Other. The Corporate segment consists of private sector business customers in the United States based on employee size between Medium/Large customers, which primarily includes organizations with more than 100 employees, and Small Business customers, which primarily includes organizations with up to 100 employees. Its Public segment comprises government agencies and education and healthcare institutions in the United States. Its Other segment includes Canada and CDW UK. The CDW Advanced Services business consists primarily of customized engineering services delivered by technology specialists and engineers, and managed services that include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings. The Company has centralized logistics and headquarters functions that provide services to the segments.
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.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
Since its inception, Validea's strategy based on Martin Zweig has returned 422.99% vs. 171.06% for the S&P 500. For more details on this strategy, click here
About Martin Zweig : During the 15 years that it was monitored, Zweig's stock recommendation newsletter returned an average of 15.9 percent per year, during which time it was ranked number one based on risk-adjusted returns by Hulbert Financial Digest. Zweig has managed both mutual and hedge funds during his career, and he's put the fortune he's compiled to some interesting uses. He has owned what Forbes reported was the most expensive apartment in New York, a $70 million penthouse that sits atop Manhattan's Pierre Hotel, and he is a collector of all sorts of pop culture and historical memorabilia -- among his purchases are the gun used by Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry", a stock certificate signed by Commodore Vanderbilt, and even two old-fashioned gas pumps similar to those he'd seen at a nearby gas station while growing up in Cleveland, according to published reports.
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.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
