5 Companies to Research with the Lowest PEmg Ratio for the Enterprising Investor – December 2014

There are a number of great companies in the market today. By using the ModernGraham Valuation Model, I’ve selected the five lowest PEmg (price / normalized earnings) companies reviewed by ModernGraham. Each company has been determined to be suitable for the Enterprising Investor and undervalued according to the ModernGraham approach. This is a sample of one screen that is included in ModernGraham Stocks & Screens.  Defensive Investors are defined as investors who are not able or willing to do substantial research into individual investments, and therefore need to select only the companies that present the least amount of risk. Enterprising Investors, on the other hand, are able to do substantial research and can select companies that present a moderate (though still low) amount of risk. Enterprising Investors may also be interested in reviewing 5 Undervalued Companies for the Enterprising Investor while also conducting further research into the following companies.

Check out the history of this screen to find which companies have qualified in the past.

SLM Corp (SLM)

SLM Corporation qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the Defensive Investor.  The Defensive Investor has concerns with the company’s lack of earnings or dividend stability over the last ten years, while the Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns.  As a result, Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with further research into the company and comparing it to other opportunities.  From a valuation side of things, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $0.15 in 2010 to an estimated $1.57 for 2014.  This level of demonstrated growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of negative 1.45% earnings growth and leads the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, to return an estimate of intrinsic value above the price.  (See the full valuation)

Ford Motor Company (F)

Ford continues to fare very well in the ModernGraham model, and is suitable for Enterprising Investors. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the lack of earnings stability over the last ten years and the inconsistent dividend record over that time period, while the Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, Enterprising Investors should feel very comfortable proceeding to the next part of the analysis, which is a determination of the company’s intrinsic value.

When it comes to that valuation, it is critical to consider the company’s earnings history. In this case, the company has grown its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from a loss of $1.15 in 2010 to an estimated gain of $1.87 for 2014. This is a fairly strong level of demonstrated growth which is well above the market’s implied estimate for earnings loss of 0.1% over the next 7-10 years. It is true that the company has seen somewhat flat EPSmg over the last couple of years, but it is critical for investors to have a longer frame of reference when considering a company’s long-term prospects. Here, the historical growth in EPSmg over the last five years is around 52.53% per year, so the market is expecting a very significant drop in earnings growth. The ModernGraham valuation model reduces the historical growth to a more conservative figure, assuming that some slowdown will occur, but it is unrealistic that a company this strong would see negative growth over the long-term. Therefore, the model returns an estimate of intrinsic value well above the current price, indicating the company is significantly undervalued at the present time.  (See the full valuation)

PulteGroup Inc. (PHM)

PulteGroup performs quite well in the ModernGraham model, and is suitable for Enterprising Investors. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the lack of earnings or dividend stability over the last ten years and the low earnings growth over that period, while the Enterprising Investor is only concerned by the lack of earnings stability over the last five years. As a result, Enterprising Investors should feel very comfortable proceeding to the next part of the analysis, which is a determination of the company’s intrinsic value.

When it comes to that valuation, it is critical to consider the company’s earnings history. In this case, the company has grown its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from a loss of $4.19 in 2010 to an estimated gain of $1.98 for 2014. This is a very strong level of demonstrated growth which is well above the market’s implied estimate of only 0.93% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. Here, the historical growth in EPSmg over the last five years is around 29.43% per year, which is clearly unsustainable over a long period of time. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model reduces the historical growth to a more conservative figure, assuming that some slowdown will occur. The ModernGraham estimate is capped at 15% annual growth, which is still significantly higher than the market estimate. A significant slowdown would have to occur to justify a price as low as the market is demonstrating. Therefore, the model returns an estimate of intrinsic value well above the current price, indicating the company is significantly undervalued at the present time.  (See the full valuation on Seeking Alpha)

Assurant Inc. (AIZ)

Assurant Inc. qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the Defensive Investor.  The Defensive Investor is concerned by the level of growth in earnings over the last ten years while the Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns.  As a result, Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with further research into the company and comparing it to other opportunities.  As for a valuation, the company appears undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $3.64 in 2010 to an estimated $5.93 for 2014.  This level of demonstrated growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 1.54% earnings growth and leads the ModernGraham valuation model, which is based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, to return an estimate of intrinsic value above the market price.  (See the full valuation)

Capital One Financial (COF)

Defensive Investors, the most conservative level of ModernGraham style investing, may not be interested in Capital One Financial due to the unstable earnings and low earnings growth over the last ten years, but Enterprising Investors should be very interested. The company passes all of the investor types’ requirements, and they should feel very comfortable proceeding to the next part of the analysis, which is a determination of the company’s intrinsic value.

In recent years, the company has grown its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $3.20 in 2010 to an estimated $6.86 for 2014. This is an outstanding level of growth, which significantly outpaces the market’s implied estimate of only 1.46%. In fact, the actual growth demonstrated by the company is greater than twenty percent. As a result of the strong growth demonstrated historically, the ModernGraham valuation model returns an estimate of intrinsic value well above the price, supporting a clear conclusion that the company is significantly undervalued. Enterprising Investors are therefore encouraged to proceed with further research to determine whether Capital One Financial is suitable for their own individual portfolios.  (See the full valuation on Seeking Alpha)

What do you think?  Are these companies a good value for Enterprising Investors?  Is there a company you like better?  Leave a comment on our Facebook page or mention @ModernGraham on Twitter to discuss.

Disclaimer:  The author held a long position in Ford Motor Company (F) but did not hold a position in any other company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing those holdings within the next 72 hours.  Company logos were obtained from Wikipedia for the sole purpose of identifying the company; this article is not related to the companies mentioned in any capacity.