The following are the top rated Basic Materials stocks according to Validea's Low PE Investor model based on the published strategy of John Neff. This strategy looks for firms with persistent earnings growth that trade at a discount relative to their earnings growth and dividend yield.
MYERS INDUSTRIES, INC. (MYE) is a small-cap growth stock in the Fabricated Plastic & Rubber industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 81% 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: Myers Industries, Inc. is an international manufacturing and distribution company. The Company operates through two segments: Material Handling and Distribution. As of December 31, 2016, the Company operated 15 manufacturing facilities, 20 sales offices, four distribution centers and three distribution branches located throughout North, Central and South America. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had approximately 15,000 manufactured products and over 13,500 distributed products. The Material Handling segment designs, manufactures and markets a range of plastic and metal products. The Distribution Segment is engaged in the distribution of tools, equipment and supplies used for tire, wheel and under vehicle service on passenger, heavy truck and off-road vehicles, and the manufacturing of tire repair materials and custom rubber products. The product line includes categories, such as tire valves and accessories, and lifts and alignment 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 RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | FAIL |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of MYERS INDUSTRIES, INC.
GREIF, INC. (GEF) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Containers & Packaging industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 79% 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: Greif, Inc. (Greif) is a producer of industrial packaging products and services. The Company operates through four business segments: Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services; Paper Packaging & Services; Flexible Products & Services, and Land Management. The Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services segment is engaged in the production and sale of rigid industrial packaging products, including steel, fiber and plastic drums. In the Paper Packaging & Services segment, Greif produces and sells containerboard, corrugated sheets, corrugated containers and other corrugated products to customers in North America in industries such as packaging, automotive, food and building products. In the Flexible Products & Services segment, Greif produces flexible intermediate bulk containers and related services. The Land Management segment is focused on the harvesting and regeneration of its United States timber 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.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of GREIF, INC.
INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC (IIIN) is a small-cap growth stock in the Misc. Fabricated Products industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 62% 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: Insteel Industries, Inc. is a manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications. The Company's operations are focused on the manufacture and marketing of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications. Its concrete reinforcing products consist of two product lines: prestressed concrete strand (PC strand) and welded wire reinforcement (WWR). PC strand is a seven-wire strand that is used to impart compression forces into precast concrete elements and structures, providing reinforcement for bridges, parking decks, buildings and other concrete structures. WWR is produced as an engineered reinforcing product for use in nonresidential and residential construction. Its products are sold primarily to manufacturers of concrete products that are used in nonresidential construction. The Company sells its products nationwide across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America.
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 RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC
MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC. (MLI) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Misc. Fabricated Products industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 62% 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: Mueller Industries, Inc. is a manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum and plastic products. The Company operates through three segments: Piping Systems, Industrial Metals and Climate. The Company's products include copper tube and fittings; line sets; brass and copper alloy rod, bar, and shapes; aluminum and brass forgings; aluminum impact extrusions; plastic fittings and valves; refrigeration valves and fittings; fabricated tubular products, and steel nipples. The Company also resells imported brass and plastic plumbing valves, malleable iron fittings, faucets, and plumbing specialty products. The Company's operations are located throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, South Korea, and China. The Company markets its products to the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, refrigeration, hardware, and other industries.
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 RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.
SILGAN HOLDINGS INC. (SLGN) is a mid-cap value stock in the Containers & Packaging industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 62% 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: Silgan Holdings Inc. is a holding company. The Company is a manufacturer of rigid packaging for consumer goods products. The Company operates in three business segments: metal containers, closures and plastic containers. Its metal container segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of steel and aluminum containers for human and pet food and general line products. Its closures segment manufactures and sells metal, composite and plastic closures for food and beverage products. Its plastic containers segment manufactures and sells custom designed plastic containers and closures for personal care, food, healthcare, pharmaceutical, household and industrial chemical, pet care, agricultural, automotive and marine chemical products. The Company is a manufacturer of metal containers in North America and Europe. As of December 31, 2016, the Company's products were used for a range of end markets and it operated 87 manufacturing plants in North America, Europe, Asia and South America.
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 RATIO: | FAIL |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | FAIL |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.
More details on Validea's John Neff strategy
About John Neff: While known as the manager with whom many top managers entrusted their own money, Neff was far from the smooth-talking, high-profile Wall Streeter you might expect. He was mild-mannered and low-key, and the same might be said of the Windsor Fund that he managed for more than three decades. In fact, Neff himself described the fund as "relatively prosaic, dull, [and] conservative." There was nothing dull about his results, however. From 1964 to 1995, Neff guided Windsor to a 13.7 percent average annual return, easily outpacing the S&P 500's 10.6 percent return during that time. That 3.1 percentage point difference is huge over time -- a $10,000 investment in Windsor (with dividends reinvested) at the start of Neff's tenure would have ended up as more than $564,000 by the time he retired, more than twice what the same investment in the S&P would have yielded (about $233,000). Considering the length of his tenure, that track record may be the best ever for a manager of such a large fund.
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.
