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.
FIRST BANCORP INC (FNLC) 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: The First Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company of First National Bank (the Bank). The Bank offers a range of financial services to individuals and companies in coastal Maine. The Company, through First Advisors, a division of the Bank, offers a range of private banking, financial planning, investment management and trust services to individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities of various asset sizes. The Bank also offers automated teller machine (ATM) processing services. The Bank offers a range of loans, such as commercial loans, including real estate loans, construction loans and other loans; municipal loans; residential loans, including term loans and construction loans; home equity line of credit, and consumer loans. The Bank offers various deposits, such as demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts, money market accounts, savings and certificates of deposits.
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 BANCORP INC
FIRST BANCORP (FBP) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 83% 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: First Bancorp is the bank holding company for First Bank (the Bank). The Company's principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Bank. The Bank engages in a range of banking activities, including the acceptance of deposits and the making of loans. The Bank offers credit cards, debit cards, letters of credit, safe deposit box rentals and electronic funds transfer services, including wire transfers. In addition, the Bank offers Internet banking, mobile banking, cash management and bank-by-phone capabilities to its customers. It also offers a mobile check deposit feature for its mobile banking customers to deposit checks through their smartphone. The Bank offers remote deposit capture for its business customers. The Company provides loans for a range of consumer and commercial purposes, including loans for business, agriculture, real estate, personal uses, home improvement and automobiles.
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: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | BONUS PASS |
Detailed Analysis of FIRST BANCORP
CIVISTA BANCSHARES INC (CIVB) 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: Civista Bancshares, Inc. is a financial holding company. The Company, through the subsidiary bank, Civista Bank, is primarily engaged in the business of community banking. Civista Bank, located in Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Summit, Huron, Ottawa and Richland Counties, Ohio, conducts a general banking business that involves collecting customer deposits, making loans, purchasing securities, and offering Trust services. The Company's loan portfolio consists of commercial and agriculture, commercial real estate-owner occupied, commercial real estate non-owner occupied, residential real estate, real estate construction, consumer and other. Its securities are classified as available-for-sale (AFS) securities. Its deposits include non-interest-bearing demand deposits; interest-bearing demand deposits; savings account, including money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
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 CIVISTA BANCSHARES INC
More details on Validea's Peter Lynch strategy
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.
