The following are today's upgrades for Validea's P/E/Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Peter Lynch. This strategy looks for stocks trading at a reasonable price relative to earnings growth that also possess strong balance sheets.
STEEL DYNAMICS, INC. (STLD) is a large-cap value stock in the Iron & Steel industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 74% to 93% 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: Steel Dynamics, Inc. is a diversified domestic steel producer and metals recycler. Its segments include Steel Operations, Metals Recycling Operations, and Steel Fabrication Operations. The Steel Operations segment includes the Company's electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills, including Butler Flat Roll Division, Columbus Flat Roll Division, Southwest-Sinton Flat Roll Division, Structural and Rail Division, Engineered Bar Products Division, Roanoke Bar Division, and Steel of West Virginia; and steel coating and processing operations at The Techs, Heartland Flat Roll Division, United Steel Supply, and Vulcan Threaded Products, Inc (Vulcan). The Metals Recycling Operations segment includes its OmniSource ferrous and nonferrous processing, transportation, marketing, brokerage and scrap management services. The Steel Fabrication Operations segment includes the Company's New Millennium Building Systems' joist and deck plants located throughout the United States, and in Northern Mexico.
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/GROWTH RATIO: | PASS |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of STEEL DYNAMICS, INC.
BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. (BRKL) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% 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: Brookline Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company for Brookline Bank, Bank Rhode Island (BankRI), and PCSB Bank (Bank's). The Company is also the parent of Brookline Securities Corp. (BSC) and Clarendon Private, LLC. The Bank's activities include acceptance of commercial, municipal and retail deposits, origination of mortgage loans on commercial and residential real estate located principally in New England, origination of commercial loans and leases to small and mid-sized businesses, investment in debt and equity securities, and the offering of cash management and investment advisory services. Brookline Bank includes its wholly owned subsidiaries, Longwood Securities Corp. (LSC), Eastern Funding LLC (Eastern Funding) and First Ipswich Insurance Agency. BankRI includes its wholly owned subsidiaries, Acorn Insurance Agency, BRI Realty Corp., BRI Investment Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, BRI MSC Corp. PCSB Bank operates as a separate bank subsidiary of the 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.
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E TO GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | PASS |
| EARNINGS PER SHARE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC.
FIRST BANCSHARES INC (MISSISSIPPI) (FBMS) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 74% to 93% 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: The First Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company for The First, A National Banking Association (The First). The Company is a community-focused financial institution that offers a range of financial services to individuals, businesses, municipal entities, and non-profit organizations in the communities that it serves. These services include consumer and commercial loans, deposit accounts and safe deposit services. In addition to offering a range of deposit services and loan products, the Company have a mortgage and private banking division. Its residential mortgage loan division, which originates conventional, or government agency insured loans to purchase existing residential homes, construct new homes or refinance existing mortgages. It has a private banking division, which offers financial and wealth management services. Its other services include online Internet banking services, automated teller machines, voice response telephone inquiry services and many others.
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/GROWTH RATIO: | PASS |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of FIRST BANCSHARES INC (MISSISSIPPI)
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP INC (WNEB) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 83% to 93% 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: Western New England Bancorp, Inc. is a Massachusetts-chartered stock holding company. The Company serves as a holding company for Westfield Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a full-service, community-oriented financial institution offering a full range of commercial and retail products and services as well as wealth management financial products. The Bank's loan portfolio includes commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans, residential real estate loans, home equity loans and consumer loans. The Bank also provides a variety of banking services, including telephone and online banking, remote deposit capture, cash management services, overdraft facilities, night deposit services, and safe deposit facilities. The Bank operates approximately 25 banking offices in Hampden and Hampshire counties in western Massachusetts, and Hartford and Tolland counties in northern Connecticut. It also operates approximately 22 automated teller machines (ATMs).
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/GROWTH RATIO: | PASS |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP INC
UNIVEST FINANCIAL CORP (UVSP) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 74% to 93% 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: Univest Financial Corporation is the bank holding company of Univest Bank and Trust Co. (the Bank). The Company operates through three segments: Banking, Wealth Management and Insurance. The Banking segment provides financial services to individuals, businesses, municipalities and non-profit organizations. These services include a range of banking services, such as deposit taking, loan origination and servicing, mortgage banking, other general banking services and equipment lease financing. The Wealth Management segment offers investment advisory, financial planning, trust and brokerage services, which serves a client base of private families and individuals, municipal pension plans, retirement plans, trusts and guardianships. The Insurance segment includes an insurance brokerage agency offering commercial property and casualty insurance, employee benefit solutions, personal insurance lines and human resources consulting.
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/GROWTH RATIO: | PASS |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of UNIVEST FINANCIAL CORP
FIRST COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL CORP (FCF) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% 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: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation is a financial holding company for First Commonwealth Bank (the Bank). First Commonwealth Bank is a Pennsylvania bank and trust company. The Bank provides a diversified array of consumer and commercial banking services. It also provides trust and wealth management services and offers insurance products through the Bank and its other operating subsidiaries. The Bank operates approximately 118 community banking offices throughout western and central Pennsylvania, and northeastern, central and southwestern Ohio, as well as corporate banking centers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Columbus, Canton and Cleveland, Ohio, and mortgage banking offices in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and Hudson, Westlake and Lewis Center, Ohio. The Bank also operates a network of approximately 136 automated teller machines (ATMs), at various branch offices and offsite locations.
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.
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E TO GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | PASS |
| EARNINGS PER SHARE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of FIRST COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL CORP
About Peter Lynch: Perhaps the greatest mutual fund manager of all-time, Lynch guided Fidelity Investment's Magellan Fund to a 29.2 percent average annual return from 1977 until his retirement in 1990, almost doubling the S&P 500's 15.8 percent yearly return over that time. Lynch's common sense approach and quick wit made him one of the most quoted investors on Wall Street. ("Go for a business that any idiot can run -- because sooner or later, any idiot probably is going to run it," is one of his many pearls of wisdom.) Lynch's bestseller One Up on Wall Street is something of a "stocks for the everyman/everywoman", breaking his approach down into easy-to-understand concepts.
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.
