Should Value Investors Consider National Grid (NGG) 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 National Grid plc NGG 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, National Grid has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 15.26, 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 stands at about 19.57. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, National Grid’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years.

 

Further, the stock’s PE compares favorably with the Zacks Utilities sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.83. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

 

We should also point out that National Grid has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 15.65, which is tad 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, National Grid has a P/S ratio of about 2.20. This is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.39 right now.  Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

 

If anything, NGG is in the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, National Grid currently has a Zacks Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes National Grid a solid choice for value investors.   

What About the Stock Overall?  

Though National Grid 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 C and a Momentum Score of D. This gives NGG a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of C. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>) 

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. This has had a positive impact on the consensus estimate though as the current year consensus estimate has increased by 0.5% in the past two months, while the full year 2020 estimate has declined by 1.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

National Grid Transco, PLC Price and Consensus

 

National Grid Transco, PLC Price and Consensus

National Grid Transco, PLC price-consensus-chart | National Grid Transco, PLC Quote

This bullish trend is why the stock boasts a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and why we are expecting outperformance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line 

National Grid is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible line up of statistics on this front.  A strong industry rank (among top 39% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #2 further instils our confidence.

However, over the past two years, the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry has clearly underperformed the market at large, as you can see below:

 

So, value investors might want to wait for industry trends to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
National Grid Transco, PLC (NGG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research