Should Value Investors Buy Arcos Dorados (ARCO) Stock?
Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.
Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.
Arcos Dorados (ARCO) is a stock many investors are watching right now. ARCO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 15.48 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 24.74. Over the past year, ARCO's Forward P/E has been as high as 17.05 and as low as 10.09, with a median of 12.24.
ARCO is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.22. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ARCO's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.73. Over the past 52 weeks, ARCO's PEG has been as high as 1.62 and as low as 0.89, with a median of 1.21.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. ARCO has a P/S ratio of 0.62. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.02.
Finally, investors should note that ARCO has a P/CF ratio of 8.44. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. ARCO's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 17.84. Over the past 52 weeks, ARCO's P/CF has been as high as 8.52 and as low as 5.42, with a median of 6.87.
Investors could also keep in mind Carrols Restaurant Group (TAST), an Retail - Restaurants stock with a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy) and Value grade of A.
Furthermore, Carrols Restaurant Group holds a P/B ratio of 2.36 and its industry's price-to-book ratio is -28.07. TAST's P/B has been as high as 2.47, as low as 0.43, with a median of 1.75 over the past 12 months.
These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Arcos Dorados and Carrols Restaurant Group are likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, ARCO and TAST feels like a great value stock at the moment.
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Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. (TAST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
