Can Value Investors Select Vodafone Group (VOD) Stock?
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 Vodafone Group VOD 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, Vodafone Group has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 9.53, 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 19.03. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Vodafone Group’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint (which is 19.54) 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 23.25. 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 Vodafone Group has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.23, which is higher than the current level. So, it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near term.
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, Vodafone Group has a P/S ratio of about 0.65. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.9x 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, Vodafone Group currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Vodafone Group 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 1.78, which is far better than the industry average of 3.59. Clearly, VOD is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Vodafone Group 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 B and a Momentum Score of B. This gives VOD 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 full year estimate has inched higher by 6.1%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Vodafone Group PLC Price and Consensus
Vodafone Group PLC price-consensus-chart | Vodafone Group PLC Quote
The stock has just a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and why we are looking for better performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Vodafone Group 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 8% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. However, over the past two years, the Zacks Wireless Non-US industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
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Vodafone Group PLC (VOD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
