Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put
NXP Semiconductors
NXPI
stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, NXP Semiconductors has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.43, as you can see in the chart below:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 17.5. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, NXP Semiconductors’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint (which is 16.33) over the past five years. Moreover, the current level stands well below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it can be a solid entry point.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.14. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
We should also point out that NXP Semiconductors has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.63, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for NXP Semiconductors stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, NXP Semiconductors has a P/S ratio of about 3.24. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4x right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, NXP Semiconductors currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes NXP Semiconductors a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for NXP Semiconductors is just 0.48, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 0.70. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, NXPI is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though NXP Semiconductors might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of A and a Momentum Score of C. This gives NXPI a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores
here >>
)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been robust at best. The current quarter has seen six estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to five lower, while the full year estimate has seen thirteen up and none down in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 2.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched up by 1.6%.
Despite this positive trend, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
NXP Semiconductors is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Further, a strong industry rank (among Top 39% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks Semiconductor – Analog and Mixed industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.
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