The following are the top rated Consumer Cyclical 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.
AUTOZONE, INC. (AZO) is a large-cap growth stock in the Auto & Truck Parts 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: AutoZone, Inc. is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. The Company operates through the Auto Parts Locations segment. The Auto Parts Locations segment is a retailer and distributor of automotive parts and accessories. As of February 10, 2018, the Company operated through 6,088 locations in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil. The Company's stores carry product lines for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products. The Company's other operating segments include ALLDATA, which produces, sells and maintains diagnostic and repair information software used in the automotive repair industry, and E-commerce, which includes direct sales to customers through www.autozone.com.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | FAIL |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of AUTOZONE, INC.
GRIFFON CORPORATION (GFF) is a small-cap growth stock in the Appliance & Tool 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: Griffon Corp is a diversified management and holding company that conducts business through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company operates through three reportable segments: Consumer and Professional Products (CPP), Home and Building Products (HBP) and Defense Electronics. CPP segment consists of AMES Companies, Inc. (AMES), which is a manufacturer of branded consumer and professional tools and products for home storage and organization, landscaping, and enhancing outdoor lifestyles. HBP segment consists of Clopay Corporation (Clopay), which is a manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial sectional garage doors and rolling steel doors in North America. Defense Electronics consists of Telephonics Corporation (Telephonics), which is a provider of surveillance and communications solutions for defense, aerospace and commercial customers.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of GRIFFON CORPORATION
MALIBU BOATS INC (MBUU) is a small-cap growth stock in the Recreational 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: Malibu Boats, Inc. is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of performance sport boats. The Company's segments include the U.S. and Australia. Each segment is engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sale of performance sport boats. Its U.S. segment serves markets in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Its Australia segment serves the Australian and New Zealand markets. The Company's boats are used for water sports, including water skiing, wakeboarding and wake surfing, as well as general recreational boating. The Company sells its boats under Malibu and Axis Wake Research (Axis) brand names. The Company's boats are constructed of fiberglass, equipped with inboard propulsion systems and available in a range of sizes and hull designs. The Company also offers various accessories and aftermarket parts. The Company's boat models include Malibu M Series, Malibu Wakesetter, Malibu Response and Axis.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of MALIBU BOATS INC
YETI HOLDINGS INC (YETI) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Recreational 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: YETI Holdings, Inc. (YETI) is a designer, marketer and distributor of products for the outdoor and recreation market. The Company's product portfolio includes three categories: Coolers & Equipment, Drinkware and Other. The Company's Coolers & Equipment category consists of hard coolers, soft coolers, and associated accessories. Its Tundra hard coolers, designed to perform in hunting and fishing environments, are also used in boating, whitewater rafting, camping, barbecuing, tailgating, farming and ranching activities. The Company's Hopper coolers are designed to provide ice retention. The Rambler stainless steel Drinkware family includes the collection of YETI products that fit in cup holders and the palms of consumers' hands. The Other category of the Company offers an array of YETI branded gear, which includes YETI hats, shirts, bottle openers and ice substitutes. The Company's products are sold under the YETI brand.
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: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | FAIL |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of YETI HOLDINGS INC
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP. (AIN) is a small-cap growth stock in the Textiles - Non Apparel industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff is 60% 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: Albany International Corp. is focused on textiles and materials processing business. The Company operates through two segments: Machine Clothing and Albany Engineered Composites. The Company's Machine Clothing segment supplies permeable and impermeable belts used in the manufacture of paper, paperboard, nonwovens, fiber cement and various other industrial applications. The Machine Clothing segment also supplies customized, consumable fabrics used in the manufacturing process in the pulp, corrugator, nonwovens, fiber cement, building products, and tannery and textile industries. Its Albany Engineered Composites segment includes Albany Safran Composites, LLC (ASC), in which its customer SAFRAN Group owns interest and provides engineered composite structures based on its technology to customers in the aerospace and defense 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: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
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.
