Pick 5 Bargain Stocks With Attractive EV/EBITDA Ratios

The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is broadly considered by investors as a yardstick for assessing the fair market value of a stock. The idea of hunting for stocks with a low P/E is ingrained in the minds of many value investors. But even this straightforward, broadly used valuation metric suffers a few downsides.

What Makes EV/EBITDA a Better Alternative?

Although P/E is preferred by many investors while uncovering bargain stocks, another valuation metric called EV/EBITDA does a better job. The ratio is sometimes viewed as a superior substitute as it offers a clearer picture of a firm’s valuation and its earnings potential. EV/EBITDA has a more comprehensive approach to valuation as it determines a firm’s total value. In contrast, P/E just considers a firm’s equity portion.

Also known as the enterprise multiple, EV/EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents.

EBITDA, the other element, gives the true picture of a company’s profitability as it removes the impact of non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that depress net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.

Generally, the lower the EV/EBITDA ratio, the more alluring it is. A low EV/EBITDA ratio could signal that a stock is potentially undervalued.

EV/EBITDA also takes into account the debt on a company’s balance sheet that P/E does not. Due to this reason, EV/EBITDA is generally used to value potential acquisition targets as it shows the amount of debt the acquirer has to assume. Stocks with a low EV/EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.

Another major drawback of P/E is that it can’t be used to value a loss-making entity. Moreover, a firm’s earnings are subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. On the other hand, EV/EBITDA is less open to manipulation and can also be used to value companies that are making loss but are EBITDA-positive.

Moreover, EV/EBITDA is a useful tool in assessing the value of companies that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. The ratio also allows the comparison of companies with different debt levels.

However, EV/EBITDA is not devoid of limitations and it alone can’t conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and its future performance. The ratio varies across industries and is generally not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries given their diverse capital spending requirements.

As such, a strategy only based on EV/EBITDA might not fetch the desired results. But you can combine it with other major ratios such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to screen bargain stocks.

Screening Criteria

Here are the parameters to screen for bargain stocks:

EV/EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV/EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.

P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.

P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.

P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio the more attractive the stock is as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.

Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median. This is a meaningful indicator as decent earnings growth always adds to investor optimism.

Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.

Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.

Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: No screening is complete without the Zacks Rank, which has proven its worth since inception. It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.

Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.

Here are five of the 18 stocks that passed the screen:

Kraton Corporation (NYSE:KRA) is a producer of styrenic block copolymers, specialty polymers and performance products derived from renewable resources. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 25.4% for 2017. It has a Value Score of A.

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) is a leading supplier of transportation equipment and services to the railroad and related industries. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has an expected earnings per share (EPS) growth rate of 9.5% for three to five years. The stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:KELYA) provides temporary office clerical, marketing, professional, technical, light industrial, home care services, management services and other business services to a diversified group of customers. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 30.8% for 2017 and a Value Score of A.

CVR Refining, LP (NYSE:CVRR) is engaged in the refining of petroleum primarily in the United States. The stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of a staggering 1,350% for 2017. It currently has a Value Score of A and a Zacks Rank #1.

POSCO (NYSE:PKX) manufactures hot and cold rolled steel products, heavy plate and other steel products for the construction and shipbuilding industries. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 134.7% for 2017 and a Value Score of A.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

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