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.
WEIS MARKETS, INC. (WMK) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Retail (Grocery) 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: Weis Markets, Inc. is engaged principally in the retail sale of food in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The Company's retail food stores sell groceries, dairy products, frozen foods, meats, seafood, fresh produce, floral, pharmacy services, deli products, prepared foods, bakery products, beer and wine, fuel and general merchandise items, such as health and beauty care and household products. The store product selection includes national, local and private brands including natural, gluten-free and organic varieties. The Company owns and operates approximately 197 retail food stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia under the Weis Markets trade name, many of which have on-line order and pick up customer service. The Company owns and operates one distribution center in Milton, Pennsylvania of approximately 1.3 million square feet, and one in Northumberland, Pennsylvania totaling approximately 76 thousand square feet.
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 WEIS MARKETS, INC.
KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. (KRO) is a small-cap value stock in the Chemical Manufacturing 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: Kronos Worldwide, Inc. is a producer and marketer of value-added titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2), a base industrial product used in a range of applications. The Company, along with its distributors and agents, sells and provides technical services for its products to approximately 4,000 customers in 100 countries with sales in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific region. It produces TiO2 in two crystalline forms, which include rutile and anatase. TiO 2 is used to provide opacity to items such as containers and packaging materials, and vinyl products such as windows, door profiles and siding. It offers its customers a broad portfolio of products that include over 40 different TiO2 pigment grades under the KRONOS trademark. Its customers include domestic and international paint, plastics, decorative laminate and paper manufacturers. TiO2 is also used in textile applications where TiO2 functions as an opacifying and delustering age.
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: | PASS |
| INVENTORY TO SALES: | PASS |
| YIELD COMPARED TO THE S&P 500: | PASS |
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E/GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC.
MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST INC (MPW) is a mid-cap value stock in the Real Estate Operations 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: Medical Properties Trust, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT), which is engaged in the business of investing in, owning, and leasing healthcare real estate. The Company conducts all of its operations through its subsidiary, MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. The Company acquires and develops healthcare facilities and lease the facilities to healthcare operating companies under long-term net leases. It also makes mortgage loans to healthcare operators collateralized by their real estate assets. In addition, the Company selectively make loans to certain of its operators through its taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRS). The Company have healthcare investments in the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America. The Company's portfolio (including real estate assets in joint ventures) consists of approximately 438 properties leased or loaned to 53 operators, of which three are under development and five were in the form of mortgage loans.
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: | PASS |
| YIELD COMPARED TO THE S&P 500: | PASS |
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E/GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST INC
ALGOMA STEEL GROUP INC (ASTL) is a small-cap value stock in the Iron & Steel industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 85% 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: Algoma Steel Group Inc. (Algoma), formerly 1295908 B.C. Ltd., is a Canada-based company, which is an integrated producer of hot and cold rolled steel products with its operations located in Canada. It produces sheet and plate products that are sold primarily to customers in Canada and Midwest United States of America. The Company has a raw steel production capacity of an estimated 2.8 million tons per year. The Company's mill produces hot rolled sheet steel (HRC) in North America owing in part to its direct strip production complex (DSPC), which is a thin slab caster in North America with direct coupling to a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) melt shop. Algoma delivers its solutions to direct applications in the automotive, construction, energy, defense, and manufacturing sectors. Its subsidiaries include Algoma Steel Holdings Inc., Algoma Steel Inc., Algoma Steel Inc. USA, Algoma Docks GP Inc., Algoma Steel Intermediate Holdings Inc. and Legato Merger Corp.
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: | FAIL |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | BONUS PASS |
| NET CASH POSITION: | BONUS PASS |
Detailed Analysis of ALGOMA STEEL GROUP INC
INTEGER HOLDINGS CORP (ITGR) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Medical Equipment & Supplies 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: Integer Holdings Corporation is a medical device outsource (MDO) manufacturer, which serves the cardiac, neuromodulation, vascular, orthopedics, advanced surgical and portable medical markets. The Company's segments include Medical and Non-Medical. The Medical segment includes the Cardio and Vascular, Cardiac and Neuromodulation and Advanced Surgical, Orthopedics and Portable Medical product lines. The Non-Medical segment comprises the Electrochem product line. The Company provides medical technologies and develops batteries for various applications in the non-medical energy, military, and environmental markets. Its brands include Greatbatch Medical, Lake Region Medical and Electrochem. Its primary customers include large, multi-national original equipment manufacturers and their affiliated subsidiaries. It operates approximately 18 facilities in the United States, five in Europe, three in Mexico, two in Asia, one in the Dominican Republic, one in South America, and one in Israel.
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 INTEGER HOLDINGS CORP
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.
