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.
ESSENTIAL UTILITIES INC (WTRG) is a large-cap growth stock in the Water Utilities industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 0% 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: Essential Utilities, Inc. is the holding company for regulated utilities providing water, wastewater, or natural gas services. The CompanyGs segments include Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas. The Regulated Water segment consists of eight operating segments representing its water and wastewater regulated utility companies, which are organized by the states where the Company provides water and wastewater services. The Regulated Natural Gas segment consists of one operating segment representing natural gas utility companies for which the Company provides natural gas distribution services. It provides services in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The Company also operates market-based activities, conducted through its non-regulated subsidiaries, that provide utility service line protection solutions and repair services to households and gas marketing and production activities.
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.
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| 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 ESSENTIAL UTILITIES INC
ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI PLC (AU) is a large-cap value stock in the Gold & Silver industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 0% 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: Anglogold Ashanti PLC is a United Kingdom-based independent, global gold mining company. The Company is focused on a diverse portfolio of operations, projects and exploration activities across nine countries on four continents. The Company also produces silver (Argentina) and Sulfuric acid (Brazil) as by-products. The CompanyGs portfolio includes Africa, the Americas, and Australia. The CompanyGs operations include Kibali, managed by Barrick Gold Corporation, Ghana (Iduapriem and Obuasi), Guinea (Siguiri), Tanzania (Geita) and the DRC (Kibali). The Americas hosts three of the CompanyGs operations, one in Argentina and two in Brazil, as well as two greenfield projects in Colombia and a new greenfield development in Nevada in the United States. Australia hosts two of the CompanyGs operations, which are Sunrise Dam and Tropicana, both in the north-eastern goldfields in the state of Western Australia. The Company is also advancing exploration activities in the Oko project in Guyana.
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.
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| 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 ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI PLC
CHIMERA INVESTMENT CORP (CIM) is a small-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services 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: Chimera Investment Corporation is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in the business of investing in a diversified portfolio of mortgage assets for itself and for unrelated third parties through its investment management and advisory services. The assets it may invest in and manage for others include residential mortgage loans, non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), agency RMBS, business purpose loans (BPLs) (including residential transition loans (RTLs)) and investor loans, mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) and other real estate-related assets such as Agency CMBS, junior liens and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), equity appreciation rights, and reverse mortgages. The MBS and other real estate-related securities it purchases includes investment-grade, non-investment grade, and non-rated securities. The Company is focused on investing in commercial mortgage loans consisting of first or second lien loans secured by multifamily properties.
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 CHIMERA INVESTMENT CORP
VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA (ADR) (VEOEY) is a large-cap growth stock in the Waste Management Services 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: Veolia Environnement SA is a France-based company that provides environmental services. The Company activity is distributed as provision of water-related services, provision of waste management services, and provision of energy services. It offers management of water resources, distribution and conveyance of drinking water, collection, treatment and recovery of wastewater, engineering and design services and construction of water treatment facilities, customer relationship management, etc. It provides collection, treatment and recycling of liquid, solid, ordinary and hazardous waste, treatment and recovery of waste by composting, energy recovery from waste, etc. The Company offers urban cleanliness services (maintenance and cleaning of public spaces, provision of mechanized street cleaning and facade treatment services), upkeep and maintenance of industrial sites, and dismantling of industrial and end-of-life equipment.
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 VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA (ADR)
ORIX CORP (ADR) (IX) is a large-cap growth stock in the Consumer Financial Services 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: ORIX Corp is a Japan-based diversified financial services company. It has ten business segments. Corporate Sales and Maintenance Lease segment is engaged in finance and commission business, and leasing and rental of automobiles and others. Real Estate segment is engaged in development, lease, management, facility operation of real estate. Business Investment and Concession segment is engaged in corporate investment and concession. Environmental Energy segment is engaged in renewable energy, solar panel sales and others. Insurance segment is engaged in life insurance business. Banking and Credit segment is engaged in banking and consumer loan business. Transportation Equipment segment is engaged in aircraft investment and management, and ship-related investment and loan. ORIX USA segment is engaged in finance, investment and asset management. ORIX Europe segment is engaged in asset management of global stocks and bonds. Asia and Australia segment is engaged in financing and investment.
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: | FAIL |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of ORIX CORP (ADR)
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.
