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.
PINNACLE FINANCIAL PARTNERS INC (PNFP) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% 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: Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. is a financial holding company. The Company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pinnacle Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a Tennessee state-chartered bank. The Bank offers a full range of lending products, including commercial, real estate and consumer loans to individuals, businesses and professional entities. The Bank is also focused on offering core deposits, including savings, noninterest-bearing checking, interest-bearing checking, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, including access to products offered through various IntraFi Network Deposit programs. It also offers a range of treasury management and remote deposit services, including online wire origination, zero balance and sweep accounts, automated bill pay services, and lockbox processing. It operates approximately 123 offices, including 51 in Tennessee, 38 in North Carolina, 20 in South Carolina, 10 in Virginia, two in Georgia and two in Alabama.
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 PINNACLE FINANCIAL PARTNERS INC
WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PLC (WTW) is a large-cap growth stock in the Insurance (Miscellaneous) 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: Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company is a global advisory, broking and solutions company that provides data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. It operates through two segments: Health, Wealth & Career (HWC), and Risk & Broking (R&B). HWC segment provides a range of advice, broking, solutions and technology for employee benefit plans, institutional investors, compensation and career programs, and the employee experience overall. Its segment focuses on Health, Wealth, Career and Benefits Delivery & Outsourcing. Its portfolio of services supports the interrelated challenges that the management teams of its clients face across human resources (HR) and finance. The R&B segment provides a range of risk advice, insurance brokerage and consulting services to clients worldwide ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations. Its R&B segment comprises two primary businesses: Corporate Risk & Broking and Insurance Consulting and Technology.
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: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PLC
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.
