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.
SOUTH PLAINS FINANCIAL INC (SPFI) 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: South Plains Financial Inc. is a bank holding company for City Bank (the Bank). Through City Bank, the Company provides a range of commercial and consumer financial services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in its market areas. Its principal business activities include commercial and retail banking, along with investment, trust and mortgage services. The Bank is primarily involved in real estate, commercial, agricultural and consumer lending activities with customers throughout Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Its commercial real estate portfolio includes loans for commercial property that is owned by real estate investors, construction loans to build owner-occupied properties, and loans to developers of commercial real estate investment properties and residential developments. Its loans to consumers include 1-4 family residential loans, auto loans, and other loans for recreational vehicles or other purposes.
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 SOUTH PLAINS FINANCIAL INC
PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO) (PFC) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional 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: Premier Financial Corp. is a bank holding company that conducts business through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Premier Bank (the Bank). The Bank is primarily engaged in community banking. The Bank attracts deposits from the general public through its offices and website, and uses those and other available sources of funds to originate residential real estate loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, home improvement and home equity loans and consumer loans. In addition, the Bank invests in United States Treasury and federal government agency obligations, obligations of states and political subdivisions, mortgage-backed securities that are issued by federal agencies, including real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) and residential collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and corporate bonds. The Bank conducts its operations through approximately 74 full-service banking center offices, 12 loan offices and two wealth offices.
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.
| SALES: | FAIL |
| YIELD COMPARED TO THE S&P 500: | PASS |
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E/GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | 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 PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO)
KB FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (ADR) (KB) is a large-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 65% to 83% 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: KB Financial Group Inc is a Korean-based company principally engaged in the financial business. The Company operates its business through six segments. The Banking segment consists of retail banking services provided by Kookmin Bank. This segment is engaged in the lending and receiving of large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, SOHO and household customers, the investment of securities and derivatives, and financing, among others. The Credit Card segment operates credit sales, cash advances and card loans, among others. The Non-life Insurance segment is engaged in the non-life insurance. The Securities segment is engaged in the trading, consignment, and acquisition of securities. The Life Insurance segment is engaged in the life insurance. The other segment is engaged in the maintenance of computer-related equipment and systems, the investigation of credit and the collection of debt, among 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.
| 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: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of KB FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (ADR)
AAR CORP (AIR) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Misc. Transportation 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: AAR CORP. (AAR) is a diversified provider of services and products to the commercial aviation, and government and defense markets. The Company's segments include Aviation Services, which consists of aftermarket support and services offerings that provide spare parts and maintenance support for aircraft operated by its commercial and government/defense customers, and Expeditionary Services segment that consists of primarily manufacturing operations with sales derived from the design and manufacture of pallets, shelters and containers used to support the United States military's requirements for a mobile and agile force, including engineering, design and system integration services for command-and-control systems. It provides customized inventory supply chain management, customer fleet management and operations and aircraft component repair management services. The Company also offers eMRO, a Web-based enterprise software solution for managing aircraft maintenance and fleet management.
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 AAR CORP
LOEWS CORP (L) is a large-cap value stock in the Insurance (Prop. & Casualty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 0% 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: Loews Corporation is a holding company. The Company's segments consist of individual operating subsidiaries, including CNA Financial Corporation (CNA), Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP and Loews Hotels Holding Corporation (Loews Hotels) and the Corporate segment. The CNA segment provides insurance products, such as commercial property and casualty coverage, including surety, and its services also include risk management, information services, warranty and claims administration. The CNA segment's commercial property and casualty insurance operations include Specialty, Commercial and International lines of business. The Boardwalk Pipelines segment is engaged in the business of transportation and storage of natural gas and natural gas liquids and hydrocarbons. Boardwalk Pipelines owns and operates approximately 13,515 miles of interconnected natural gas pipelines directly serving customers in 13 states. Loews Hotels segment is engaged in operating a chain of hotels.
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 LOEWS 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.
