Should Value Investors Pick Braskem S.A. (BAK) Stock Now?

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 Braskem S.A. BAK 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, Braskem has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 8.28, as you can see in the chart below:

This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 compares in at about 20.19. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Braskem’s current PE ratio slightly above its midpoint (which is 6.72) over the past five years.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Oil and Gas – Integrated - International industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 25.80. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Braskem has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 6.84, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Braskem 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, Braskem has a P/S ratio of about 0.35. This is substantially lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.13 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, Braskem is towards the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Braskem currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes BAK a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 3.88, which is considerably better than the industry average of 6.05. Clearly, BAK is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Braskem 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 grade of ‘A’ and a Momentum score of ‘A’. This gives Braskem 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 encouraging. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days, compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen a similar trend in the same time period.

This has had a favorable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has surged 43.5% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen by about 19.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Braskem S.A. Price and Consensus

 

Braskem S.A. Price and Consensus | Braskem S.A. Quote

This bullish trend is why the stock boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and why we are expecting outperformance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Braskem is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Its strong Zacks Rank also indicates robust growth potential in the near future. However, the company’s prospects might be constrained due to adverse broader factors, as it has a sluggish industry rank (Bottom 26% out of more than 250 industries). In fact, over the past one year, the Zacks Oil and Gas – Integrated – International sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

Despite positive estimate revision activity, investors should wait for broader factors and industry trends to turn around first.  When they do, this stock could be a compelling value pick.

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