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.
MERCANTILE BANK CORP (MBWM) 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: Mercantile Bank Corporation is the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank (The Bank). The Bank is a state banking company that provides commercial banking services primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses and retail banking services. Its operations are centered around the West and Central portions of Michigan. It also has banking offices located in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area, Traverse City, Michigan, Petoskey, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan, and Midland, Michigan. It makes secured and unsecured commercial, construction, mortgage and consumer loans, and accepts checking, savings and time deposits. It also enables customers to conduct certain loan and deposit transactions by personal computer and through mobile applications. Its insurance product offerings include private passenger automobiles, homeowners, personal inland marine, boat owners, recreational vehicles, dwelling fire, umbrella policies, small businesses, and life insurance products.
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 MERCANTILE BANK CORP
CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC (CAKE) is a mid-cap value stock in the Restaurants 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: The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is an experiential dining company focused on hospitality. The Company owns and operates about 352 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada under brands, including The Cheesecake Factory (215 locations), North Italia (43 locations), Flower Child (38 locations), and a collection within its Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC) portfolio (49 locations). Internationally, 34 The Cheesecake Factory restaurants operate under licensing agreements. Its bakery division operates two facilities that produce cheesecakes and other baked products for its restaurants, international licensees, and third-party bakery customers. The Cheesecake Factory menu features about 225 items, exclusive of beverage and dessert items and including items presented on supplemental menus, such as its SkinnyLicious menu that offers items at 590 calories or less. Its menu offerings include appetizers, pizza, seafood, steaks, chicken, burgers, small plates, pastas, salads, and 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: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC
GRAHAM CORP (GHM) is a small-cap growth stock in the Misc. Capital Goods industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 87% to 91% 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: Graham Corporation is engaged in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, energy and process, and space industries. It designs and manufactures custom-engineered vacuum, heat transfer, cryogenic pump and turbomachinery technologies. For the defense industry, its equipment is used in nuclear and non-nuclear propulsion, power, fluid transfer, and thermal management systems. For the energy and process industries, the Company supplies equipment for vacuum, heat transfer, and fluid transfer applications used in oil refining, downstream chemical facilities, fertilizers, ethylene, methanol, edible oil, food and beverage, pulp and paper, and multiple alternative energy applications such as hydrogen, small modular nuclear, concentrated solar and geothermal processes. For the space industry, its equipment is used in propulsion, power and thermal management systems, and for life support 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/GROWTH RATIO: | PASS |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of GRAHAM CORP
SHOE CARNIVAL INC (SCVL) is a small-cap value stock in the Retail (Apparel) 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: Shoe Carnival, Inc. is a family footwear retailer. It offers an assortment of dress, casual and athletic footwear for men, women and children with emphasis on national name brands. Its omnichannel bricks provide customers easy access to its range assortment of branded footwear for athletics, daily activities and special events via their choice of delivery channel. Its typical physical store carries shoes in two general categories: athletics and non-athletics with subcategories for men's, women's and children's, and a range of accessories. Its trademarks and service marks: Shoe Carnival and associated trade dress and related logos, Y-NOT?, UNR8ED, Solanz, Shoe Perks, SC Work Wear, Shoes 2U, Laces for Learning, Rogans Shoes, Shoe Station, Shoe Station Super Store, and Shoe Station Select. It operates approximately 431 stores in 36 states and Puerto Rico under its Shoe Carnival, Shoe Station, and Rogans store and offers shopping at www.shoecarnival.com and www.shoestation.com.
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: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of SHOE CARNIVAL INC
DESCARTES SYSTEMS GROUP INC (USA) (DSGX) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 0% 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: The Descartes Systems Group Inc. is focused on logistics and supply chain management business processes. It provides on-demand, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. It allows customers to use its modular, SaaS solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete other logistics processes by participating in the multimodal logistics community. Its solutions include cloud-based and consist of B2B service connectivity and messaging, broker and forwarder enterprise systems, global trade intelligence, regulatory compliance, e-commerce shipping, transportation management and routing. It also provides customs declaration software for logistics services providers and shippers.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of DESCARTES SYSTEMS GROUP INC (USA)
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.
